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ANTH2367: Sex, Reproduction, and Health

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Type Open
Level 2
Credits 10
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Anthropology

Prerequisites

  • Health, Illness and Society (ANTH1041) OR Being Human (ANTH1111)

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To provide evolutionary perspectives on human sex and reproduction and associated health concerns.

Content

  • The content will familiarise students with topics such as evolutionary and cross-species explanations for the origins of sexual reproduction, the evolutionary biology of human sexual behaviour, ecological factors affecting fertility, gestation and foetal development, evolution of human birth, evolutionary perspectives on parental care and on infanticide and infant mortality.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • How evolutionary perspectives advance understanding of human sexuality and reproduction.
  • How evolutionary perspectives can inform our understanding of health concerns associated with reproduction and infant care.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Demonstrate ability to gather and evaluate relevant information and write coherently about the distinctiveness of an evolutionary approach to sex, reproduction and love.
  • Critically evaluate the contribution of an evolutionary perspective on sex, reproduction and their relationship to health to contemporary understandings, particularly in the biomedical sphere.

Key Skills:

  • How to research relevant literature and construct an academic essay.
  • Plan, organise and manage time and work to predetermined deadlines.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Lectures and seminars: subject knowledge will be delivered via lecture, and seminars will be used to provide a forum for discussion and development of critical thinking.
  • Summative assessment is by one 2000-word written assignment.
  • Formative assessment is a 500-word written assignment.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures10Weekly10 
Seminars3Spread across term3Yes
Preparation and reading87 
Total100 

Summative Assessment

Component: CourseworkComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Written assignment2000 words100yes

Formative Assessment

Written feedback on one formative assignment. Verbal feedback in seminars.

More information

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