Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - GSWS 321 B100

Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (4)

Arts of Medicine: Anticolonial & Fem Perspectiv

Class Number: 3441

Delivery Method: Blended

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    15 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A specific theme within the field of gender, sexuality, and women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant.

COURSE DETAILS:

What makes medicine an ‘art’? This course explores how different traditions of medicine conceive of the body, sources of disease, and the arts and techniques of healing. Situating contemporary biomedicine within colonial and capitalist forms of knowledge and power, we trace how feminist, indigenous, and global south theorists and practitioners engage with and challenge some of its dominant ideas and paradigms.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

  • Situate biomedical knowledges and practices in relation to histories and enduring structures of colonialism and capitalism.
  • Develop skills for analyzing the social and political implications of illness and diagnosis, especially in terms of gender, sexuality and racialization.
  • Think critically about the ways people seek care vs. cure and the elements of medicine that cannot be reduced to technical expertise.

For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: https://www.sfu.ca/gsws/undergraduate/courses/goals

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation (includes regular in-class and online activities graded for completion) 20%
  • Midterm Exam (in class 5 short answers, 1-2 paragraphs) 20%
  • Two Responses to Guest Speakers (1-2 pages) 20%
  • Final Project Prep: Historical and Political Context (1-2 pages) 20%
  • Final Project: Essay or Artwork 20%

NOTES:

Grading: Where a final exam is scheduled and the student does not write the exam or withdraws from the course before the deadline date, an N grade will be assigned. Unless otherwise specified on the course syllabus, all graded assignments for this course must be completed for a final grade other than N to be assigned. An N is considered as an F for the purposes of scholastic standing.

Grading System: The undergraduate course grading system is A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D, F, N (N standing indicates student did not complete course requirements). Intervals for the assignment of final letter grades based on course percentage grades are as follows:

A+ (95-100) | A (90-94) | A- (85-89) | B+ (80-84) | B (75-79) | B- (70-74) | C+ (65-69) | C (60-64) | C- (55-59) |D (50-54) | F (0-49) | N*
*N standing to indicate the student did not complete course requirements

Materials

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.