Coronavirus information for applicants and offer-holders

We understand that prospective students and offer-holders may have concerns about the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The University is following the advice from Universities UK, Public Health England and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

MMath Mathematics / Course details

Year of entry: 2021

View tabs
View full page

Course unit details:
From Cholera to COVID-19: A Global History of Epidemics

Unit code	UCIL20331
Credit rating	10
Unit level	Level 2
Teaching period(s)	Semester 1
Offered by	Centre for History of Science, Technology & Medicine (L5)
Available as a free choice unit?	Yes

Overview

Including the recent experiences of the COVID-19 outbreak, students will learn how historically infectious diseases have spread across the world, how people, health systems and governments have reacted to these, and what lessons can be learnt from global pandemics in the past.

This unit covers the global history of epidemics, starting from the global pandemic of cholera in the nineteenth century across Asia, Africa, Europe and America to the contemporary experiences of COVID-19 and Ebola. It brings together insights from history, medicine, public health, bacteriology, and quarantine.

You will investigate why, in the contemporary world, some countries and communities are relatively free from epidemics while others continue to suffer from them. You will identify the larger structural factors, such as the economy, trade, labour movements, gender and class that lead to epidemics and see that disease is often caused by global inequality and poverty.

Pre/co-requisites

UCIL units are designed to be accessible to undergraduate students from all disciplines.

UCIL units are credit-bearing and it is not possible to audit UCIL units or take them for additional/extra credits. You must enrol following the standard procedure for your School when adding units outside of your home School.

If you are not sure if you are able to enrol on UCIL units you should contact your School Undergraduate office. You may wish to contact your programme director if your programme does not currently allow you to take a UCIL unit.

You can also contact the UCIL office if you have any questions.

This unit is also available with a different course unit code. To take a UCIL unit you must choose the unit with a UCIL prefix.

Aims

Drawing from the contemporary experiences of COVID-19, this unit looks back into the history of global pandemics and enables you to understand how and why different countries have responded to infectious disease outbreaks in different ways

It helps you to understand the wider and deeper social, economic, political and cultural histories that lead to disease and mortalities.

You will also analyse the experiences of communities and individuals living in the time of pandemics.

This unit can also be taken as a 20 credit version (UCIL 20081).

Learning outcomes

On completion of the unit students will be able to:

Discuss the complex historical relations between epidemic disease outbreaks and their cultural, social and political context
Describe the experiences of populations and communities living with epidemics under diverse environmental, social and economic conditions
Analyse the history of epidemics within a global context of movements of people, ideas and commerce
Deliver – orally and in writing – well-argued and evidence-based summaries of course readings

In addition, for 20 credits:

Prepare a well-structured written review, integrating social, economic, political, historical and medical contexts and arguments

Syllabus

COVID-19 and the Global history of Pandemics
Asiatic cholera in Europe
Quarantine and Isolation
Germs, Parasites and the Transmission of Disease
The First Global Flu
The Making of Modern Malaria
Smallpox and Strategies of Eradication
Coronavirus and the Return of the Pandemics
The Stew of Death: Jumping Species, Jumping Borders.
Living in the time of Pandemics
Global Poverty and Disease
Epidemics Now: Life after COVID-19

Teaching and learning methods

11 x 2 hour lectures/seminars

Knowledge and understanding

Verbal communication skills are developed in seminars and writing skills in assignments; preparing for seminars and essays uses qualitative research skills and answering questions; initiative is developed through the learning demands of the course; the course requires organisation skills to meet deadlines and to coordinate the different learning resources used; seminars require working as part of group, adapting to different demands and negotiating with other students.

Employability skills

Analytical skills: Students critically examine case studies using primary and secondary literature and analyse the topics covered using both quantitative and qualitative materials
Innovation/creativity: Students have the opportunity to be innovative in terms of how they address their essay topic
Oral communication: Students encouraged to take part in discussion of the lecture material during seminar sessions
Research: Research required for essay and project

Assessment methods

Method	Weight
Written exam	50%
Written assignment (inc essay)	50%

Feedback methods

Students may ask questions at any time during lectures and seminars. Teaching staff will answer specific queries by email and during office hours, and will provide contact details in the course handbook or at lectures. All submitted coursework will be returned with annotations and an assessment sheet explaining the mark awarded.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam	2
Lectures	11
Seminars	11

Independent study hours
Independent study	76

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Pratik Chakrabarti	Unit coordinator

Return to course details