2024-25 CATALOG YEAR

Introduction

Drawing from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, the interdisciplinary biomedical ethics minor examines the broader biosocial and environmental contexts in which the health sciences are practiced. Social contexts include structural health disparities, local considerations like cultural values and beliefs, and particular public policies, infrastructure, and institutions, as well as universal considerations such as respect for persons. Overall, students will learn to question norms of health and biomedical assumptions and to seek new understandings of how social, biosocial, technological, and environmental factors contribute to good or poor health outcomes in both local and global contexts.

Biomedical ethics minors will learn to examine the principles of autonomy and informed consent and be able to recognize complicating factors in the practice of medicine. They will learn, through multiple disciplinary analytical frameworks, how social, biosocial and environmental factors contribute to the complexities of population health. Finally, they will be able to critically consider the application of biomedicine and biomedical technologies in both local and global contexts.

This minor has been designed to appeal to Lawrence students planning further work in medicine, nursing, genetic counseling, public health, global health, social work and other areas of study in or related to health and health care as well as students wishing to undertake graduate work in applied ethics.


Required for the minor in biomedical ethics

Students who minor in biomedical ethics will learn to examine the principles of autonomy and informed consent and be able to recognize complicating factors in the practice of medicine. They will learn, through multiple disciplinary analytical frameworks, how social, biosocial and environmental factors contribute to the complexities of population health. Finally, they will be able to critically consider the application of biomedicine and biomedical technologies in both local and global contexts.

The minor in biomedical ethics requires the following:

  1. BIET 120/PHIL 120: Applied Ethics: Introduction to Biomedical Ethics
  2. One of the following:
    1. BIOL 100: The Biology of Human Reproduction,
    2. BIOL 103: Biotechnology and Society,
    3. BIOL 130: Integrative Biology: Cells to Organisms, or
    4. ANTH 140: Biological Anthropology,or ANTH 141: Primates, Humans, and Evolution
  3. One of the following:
    1. ECON 200: Economic Development,
    2. ECON 204: Effective Altruism,
    3. ECON 271: Public Economics, or
    4. GOVT 380: Introduction to Public Policy (biomedical ethics minors can take a concurrent tutorial in Health Policy while attending GOVT 380)
  4. One of the following:
    1. ANTH 342: Medical Anthropology
    2. ETST 303: Race, Ethnicity and Health, or
    3. PSYC 245: Health Psychology
  5. One of the following:
    1. BIET 370/PHIL 370: Advanced Studies in Bioethics,
    2. ANTH 542: Anthropology and Public Health,
    3. ANTH 551: Anthropology of Biomedicine,
    4. ANTH 552: Disability and Culture, or
    5. an approved independent study project on some aspect of biomedical ethics, public health or health policy. Possible contexts for projects include an academic internship, a tutorial, an independent study course, or a health-related project in conjunction with an off-campus program. Independent study projects must be approved by the advisory committee.
  6. Two additional 6-unit courses from the list below or other relevant courses with approval of the program director.
  • ANTH 314: Global Health
  • ANTH 340: Human Biology, Evolution, and Health
  • ANTH 342: Medical Anthropology
  • ANTH 377: Culture and Aging
  • ANTH 542: Anthropology and Public Health
  • ANTH 551: Anthropology of Biomedicine
  • ANTH 552: Disability and Culture
  • BIOL 100: The Biology of Human Reproduction
  • BIOL 103: Biotechnology and Society
  • BIOL 260: Genetics
  • BIOL 354: Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 465: Advanced Biotechnology
  • BIOL 453: Developmental Biology
  • ECON 200: Economic Development
  • ECON 203: Latin American Economic Development
  • ECON 204: Effective Altruism
  • ECON 271: Public Economics
  • ECON 290: The Economics of Medical Care
  • ETST 110: Introduction to Ethnic Studies
  • ETST 301: Theories of Race and Ethnicity
  • ETST 303: Race, Ethnicity and Health
  • GEOS 213: Geology and Health
  • GOVT 380: Introduction to Public Policy
  • GOVT 465: Environmental Politics
  • PHIL 320: Ethics
  • PHIL 350: Political Philosophy
  • PHIL 360: Environmental Ethics
  • PHIL 370: Advanced Studies in Bioethics
  • PHIL 380: Ethics of Technology
  • PHIL 430: Philosophy of Law
  • PSYC 245: Health Psychology
  • PSYC 250: Psychopathology
  • PSYC 285: Cross-Cultural Psychology
  • PSYC 350: Psychopharmacology and Behavior
  • UNIC 189: Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology
  • UNIC 202: Foundations of Global Health
  • UNIC 301: Digital Media and Communication for Public Health

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