Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Anthropology
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Teachers will attend to the students at an agreed time arranged by e-mail
- Isabel Morales, PhD: imorales@uic.es
Introduction
Given the increasing specialization of health studies, health professionals need to have theoretical and practical resources in order to avoid fragmented views of the patient. In order to do this, the Anthropology course will facilitate the development of a coherent and complete picture of the human being in which the student is able to recognize the plurality of their physical, mental, social and spiritual dimensions and integrate them appropriately.
Moreover, the concepts of health or disease, pain and suffering must be understood in light of an overall perspective of the human being that takes into account simultaneously, their vulnerable status and personal dignity. The health professional practice inevitably raises numerous issues that require having undertaken a profound reflection on the nature of human beings, their possibilities and the limits of their behavior, which rigorously address the topics of Anthropology.
Finally, thanks to the subject of Anthropology, the Physiotherapy student can better understand the necessary articulation and balance between the technical side and the human side of their profession, with the objective of overcoming the limitations of a purely technological response to the disease as well as contributing to their professional profile in the humanizing aspect that society demands.
Pre-course requirements
No prerequisites are required.
Objectives
- Reflectively and critically weigh those interpretations or images of human beings that prevail in our socio-cultural system, especially taking into account their implications in the understanding of health and disease, pain and suffering.
- Reach an overall perspective of the human being as a complex and multidimensional reality, taking into account a level of philosophical reflection on the many accomplished results from ongoing developments in various biological, social and human sciences.
- Provide conceptual tools to rigorously analyze and evaluate the different problems that human existence presents in the modern world, emphasizing, in a very special way, those relating to the health world, as is the case in those situations where the dependency, vulnerability or fragility of the human being is evident.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | METHODOLOGY | COMPETENCES | ECTS CREDITS |
| practical classes theory classes independent study | project-based learning learning contract presentation method / lecture case method | 01 02 05 06 07 09 10 11 12 13 17 18 28.1 28.2 28.3 29.1 30.1 54 56 | 6 ECTS |
Learning outcomes of the subject
1. The student has acquired the sufficient conceptual elements in order to detect any reductionist views of human beings. In particular, students can criticize and overcome any fragmented considerations they may have of the patient (as a mere collection of organs and systems) as well as overcome any reduction of the sick person to his/her pathology.
2. Students will know the philosophical and anthropological foundations of a human being's dignity, be able to consistently explain and argue these foundations and will apply them to multiple case studies related to their professional practice.
3. The students will acquired a comprehensive understanding with multiple perspectives of the human being, in a way that health and disease are no longer exclusively biological or physiological phenomena, and they will be able to also look at the patients taking into account their psychological, social, cultural, ethical and spiritual components.
4. The student will acquire a broad conceptual background to rationally analyze and understand the fundamental structure of the human being, specifically emphasizing the importance of their corporeality, affection, freedom, sociability, dignity, vulnerability and transcendence.
5. The students will acquire a greater degree of personal self-knowledge, enhancing their moral sensitivity to the suffering and the fate of others, they will discover the importance of attitudinal values in extreme situations, and they will learn to critically reflect and evaluate human nature and condition.
Syllabus
Topic 1 Anthropology and Health Sciences
Topic 2 Animal life and human life
Topic 3 Nature, culture and freedom
Topic 4 The human body
Topic 5 The human being and emotions
Topic 6 Rationality and language
Topic 7 Freedom
Topic 8 Human sociability
Item 9 The dignity of the human person.
Item 10 Pain and suffering
Item 11 The human being and disease
Item 12 The human being in the face of death
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The course is usually taught through theoretical sessions (lectures) and practical sessions (case method). During the lectures the professor will go into depth on the main units and concepts of the subjects detailed in the syllabus. The practical sessions are mainly based on the analysis of texts and audiovisual documents which are intended to illustrate and go into the concepts explained above in depth. In advance, students will be able to find in the corresponding section of Moodle, the subject guidelines and documents necessary to prepare for the practical sessions.
| TRAINING ACTIVITY | METHODOLOGY | COMPETENCES | ECTS CREDITS |
| practical classes theory classes independent study | project-based learning learning contract presentation method / lecture case method | 01 02 05 06 07 09 10 11 12 13 17 18 28.1 28.2 28.3 29.1 30.1 54 56 | 6 ECTS |
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
- Theoretical part (60%):
- 40% midterm exam
- 60% final exam
- Practical part (40%): attendance, participation, exercises and assignments.
Bibliography and resources
BASIC MANUALS OF REFERENCE
- Amengual, G., Philosophical Anthropology, BAC, Madrid, 2007.
- Torralba i Roselló, F., Antropología del cuidar, Fundación Mapfre Medicina, Barcelona, 1998
- Vicente Arregui, J. and Shack, J., Filosofía del hombre.Una antropología de la intimidad, ICF-UNAV, Rialp, Madrid, 1995.
- Yepes Stork, R., Fundamentos de antropología, Eunsa, Pamplona, 1997.
GENERAL WORKS
- Anrubia, E. (ed.), La fragilidad de los hombres. La enfermedad, la filosofía y la muerte, Eds. Cristiandad, Madrid, 2008.
- Anrubia, E. (ed.), Filosofías del dolor y la muerte, Ed. Comares, Granada, 2007.
- Escribano, X. (ed.), Territoris humans de la salut. Societat, cultura i valors en el món sanitari, Ed. Dux, Barcelona, 2008.
- Roqué, M. V. (ed.), El sentido del vivir en el morir, Thomson-Reuters Aranzadi, Pamplona, 2013
GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Alsina, J., Los orígenes helénicos de la medicina occidental, Barcelona: Labor, 1992.
- Andorno, R., Bioética y dignidad de la persona, Tecnos, Madrid, 1998.
- Buber, M., ¿Qué es el hombre?, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Madrid, 1986.
- Choza, J., Humanismo de la ancianidad; en Los otros humanismos, Pamplona: Eunsa, 1994.
- Gadamer, H. G., El estado oculto de la salud, Gedisa, Barcelona, 2001.
- Gehlen, A., El hombre. Su naturaleza y su lugar en el mundo, Sígueme, Salamanca, 1987.
- González García, M. (comp.), Filosofía y dolor; Madrid: Tecnos, 2006.
- Hennezel, Marie de, La mort íntima, Columna, Barcelona, 2000.
- Jaspers, K., La práctica médica en la era tecnológica; Barcelona: Gedisa, 2003.
- Jonas, H., Técnica, medicina y ética, Paidós, Barcelona, 1997.
- Jünger, E., Sobre el dolor, Tusquets, Barcelona, 2003.
- Laín-Entralgo, Pedro, La relación médico-enfermo, Revista de Occidente, Madrid, 1964.
- Laín-Entralgo, P., El arte de la curación por la palabra en la antigüedad clásica, Barcelona: Anthropos
- Landsberg, P. L., Ensayo sobre la experiencia de la muerte, Ed. Caparrós, Madrid, 1995.
- Ortega y Gasset, J., Meditación de la técnica y otros ensayos; Madrid: Alianza, 2000.
- Pellegrino, E. D. i Thomasma, D.A., A philosophical basis of Medical Practice. Toward a Philosophy and Ethic of the Healing Professions, New York, Oxford University Press, 1981.
- Nussbaum, La terapia del deseo, Paidós, Barcelona, 2003.
- Roqué, Mª. V., Médico y paciente. El lado humano de la medicina, Ed. Dux, Barcelona, 2007.
- Russo, G., Il medico. Identità e ruoli nella società di oggi, Edizioni Internazionali, Roma, 2004
- Scheler, M., Muerte y supervivencia, Ed. Encuentro, Madrid, 2001.
- Scheler, M., El puesto del hombre en el cosmos, Revista de Occidente, Madrid, 1936.
- Torralba, F., Filosofía de la Medicina, Institut Borja de Bioètica. Fundación Mapfre Medicina, Madrid, 2001.
- Vicente Arregui, J., El horror de morir; Barcelona, Tibidabo, 1992.
TITLES OF INTEREST
- Bauby, J.-D., La escafandra y la mariposa, Ed. Planeta, Barcelona, 2008.
- Sacks, O., L'home que va confondre la seva dona amb un barret, Ed. Proa, Barcelona, 2001.
- Szczeklik, A., Catarsis, Sobre el poder curativo de la naturaleza y el arte, Acantilado, Barcelona, 2010.
- Szczeklik, A., Core. Sobre enfermos, enfermedades y la búsqueda del alma de la medicina, Acantilado, Barcelona, 2012. Básica:
Evaluation period
- E1 28/01/2025 A16 12:00h
- E1 28/01/2025 A14 12:00h
- E2 09/07/2025 A16 12:00h