Watch Malaria and Sickle Cell Anemia (14min) and Rumors and Misinformation (8 min)
These two videos get us thinking about two aspects of infectious disease we are focusing on in this module: biocultural dimensions and sociocultural dimensions.
Malaria and Sickle Cell Anemia Links to an external site. (14min) describes an example that demonstrates how a pathogen and humans co-evolve. Depending on your familiarity with genetics and evolution, the case can be challenging to fully understand. This video explains it well, and I strongly recommend watching it before you read the section in the textbook chapter about sickle cell anemia.
As you watch, try to answer the following (take notes!):
- Where do high rates of malaria and sickle cell anemia occur in the world?
- How are each of the following three groups affected by malaria:
- carriers of some sickle cells (heterozygous form; inherited from one parent)?
- people with sickle cell anemia (inherited from both parents)
- people with no sickle cells
- How are each of those groups affected by the disease sickle cell anemia?
- What role has evolution (by natural selection) played in this example?
Rumors and Misinformation Links to an external site. (8 min) was filmed by anthropologists Peter Brown and Svea Closser early in the pandemic. It is useful in thinking about how ideas and beliefs we all have about COVID19 can be understood from an anthropological point of view. The points raised in their discussion will be helpful to keep in mind for the discussion later this week.
As you watch, try to answer the following:
- What are some of the things anthropologists take into consideration when trying to understand why people comply with public health guidance and why people don't?
- What are some of the reasons, as discussed by the Brown and Closser, that people believe rumors and misinformation?
- From an anthropological point of view, how can people counter misinformation?