IDIS 220 - Chinese Medicine and Culture

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SU, alternate years. The world’s most populous country has a long, rich cultural tradition featuring unique views of life, society, the human body, medicine, and nature. Some of these cultural roots trace back thousands of years, and yet, they still define Chinese identity today and deeply influence the modern way of life. As China takes increasingly prominent roles on the world stage, it becomes increasingly important to understand its cultural roots and practices. In this course, students will learn about Chinese history, philosophy and culture by attending lectures, reading books, interacting with Chinese instructors and students, and most importantly, by traveling the beautiful land of the Middle Kingdom (Chinese name of China). One of these cultural roots is the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). TCM with its practice in acupuncture and herbal remedies is becoming more and more recognized and popular in western societies including the US and Europe. With a holistic approach, TCM focuses more on improving the body’s natural ways of healing rather than combating germs directly. In this course students learn the theories and practices of TCM from Chinese TCM instructors. This course fulfills the tag of Global Regions and Cultures in the Engaged Citizenship Commitments core category. It is also an elective course in Asian Studies Program. Off campus, associated course fee required.

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