Epidemics and Phobia

This class will explore the relationship between epidemics and phobia with an emphasis on mapping and making sense of the forms that phobia takes during public health crises. We will also examine the extent to which epidemics constitute defining moments that inflect longstanding social dynamics. The following are some questions that we will explore: What is the relationship between health-related xenophobia and other forms of xenophobia? Do epidemics always coincide with xenophobia? Why are some groups scapegoated while others are not? Which members of scapegoated groups are targeted during epidemics? How do epidemics play into intra-group interactions? This course will help students to reflect on broader questions of mobility, identity and belonging while advancing their knowledge of the more specific issues of epidemics and phobia.