Living with Viruses

By examining the interplay of viruses and culture, this course challenges students to think beyond conventional disciplinary distinctions through questions about the impact of viruses on our world. While we are currently living through a pandemics and thus all realize the impact it has on our lives, this course breaks apart our lived experiences: including our need to blame certain populations, the disparities in healthcare, the use of immunity as a socioeconomic tool, and the evaluation of our own genetic makeup and its dependency on a billion years of viral integrations. The specific goals of this course are to engage students to examine the microbial world and how they interact with it. We will examine three overarching questions: How do viruses affect cultures and populations? How do we confront emerging conflicts, social disparities, and blame that accompany pandemics and How can we use stories and narratives to educate?