As individuals, we experience sickness and wellness in personal terms, but these conditions have always had wider dimensions. What factors have led to changing experiences of health and illness in history, and why have some groups fared better or worse than others?

More than the history of bodies and medicine, this course provides cultural, economic, environmental, legal, political and social perspectives on various forms of sickness – from smallpox, plague and cholera to venereal disease, alcoholism and AIDS. Students will also learn how health policies and practices have produced distinct outcomes in different regions and periods.

Science and medicine have conquered many diseases over recent centuries. But trade, exploration, colonisation, mass migration, environmental exploitation, industrialisation, war, urbanisation, political ideologies and international relations have exerted greater influence, and these factors continue to shape patterns of sickness and wellness.

Power and authority sit at the heart of the relationship between illness and wellbeing. This course considers that theme by asking: how have different forms of illness and evolving health measures exposed, created and levelled inequalities? Additional questions include: What strategies have been authorized to combat illness in the pursuit of public health? Under what circumstances did health come to be considered a right?

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. critically analyse how power and authority have shaped the history of sickness and health from the premodern period to the present;
2. demonstrate a capacity to analyse sickness and health through the lenses of cultural, economic, environmental, legal, political and social history;
3. independently design and conduct research using primary and secondary sources;
4. formulate evidence-based arguments in written submissions; and
5. demonstrate comprehension of course lectures and written materials in oral discussions.

Research-Led Teaching

This course draws on the expertise of the convenor and two pre-modern historians engaged in research on the themes of power and authority in relation to the history of public health. Students will learn to explore and interpret primary sources to conduct original research based on topics of their own choosing, within prescribed guidelines.

Field Trips

None

Additional Course Costs

None

Examination Material or equipment

The examination will take place in the exam period. Student may use assigned course readings and notes.

Required Resources

The resources required are readings that may be accessed through the course site. Readings are also accessible through the ANU library system or the National Library of Australia or through public websites.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Sickness and Health: Power and Authority in Historical Perspective	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions.
2	Pestilence – The Dynamics of Black Death (Dr. Romney Smith)	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions. First week to post on Forum.
3	Divining Death and Avoiding Disease: Plague in the Early Modern Period (Dr. Mark Dawson)	This lecture will be recorded and uploaded. Listen to lecture and instructions will be posted to look out for key take-aways.
4	Empires of Illness – Sickness, Health and Colonisation (Dr. Mark Dawson)	This lecture will be recorded and uploaded. Listen to lecture and instructions will be posted to look out for key take-aways.
5	Sewage and Sanitation – Spreading and Stemming Disease	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions. Submit primary source essay by XXXX.
6	Making Medical Authority: Germ Theory and Folk Wisdom	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions. Essay due date is XXXX
7	The Social Evil – Regulating and Containing Venereal Disease	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions.
8	Purifying ‘the race’ – Eugenics as Public Health	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions. Present research essay topic in tutorial.
9	Fighting Flu – Influenza as Enemy	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions.
10	Weaponising Sickness: Germs, Warfare and Ideology	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions. Submit research essay by XXXX
11	Unhealthy Pleasures – Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco, Sex (lectorial)	Participate in lectorial during posted lecture time. Complete tutorial readings and participate in lectorial by preparing for class debate. Final week to submit a course 'Forum' post to connect lectures to readings.
12	World Health, Local Inequalities	Complete tutorial readings and participate in tutorials by preparing to answer posted questions. Prepare for final exam.

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Historical document analysis	20 %	22/08/2025	19/09/2025	1,2,3,4
Primary Source post	10 %	*	*	3,4,5
Research Essay: Historical case study of sickness and health	30 %	03/10/2025	22/10/2025	1.2.3.4
Final Examination	30 %	*	*	1,2,3,4
Tutorial Participation	10 %	*	*	1,2,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Participation will be evaluated by the quality of students’ responses to the questions posted for each week’s readings. Students should attend tutorials having completed the readings and considered the posted discussion questions.

Participation is also assessed by the quality of TWO primary source uploads. Postings must explain the choice of source (text or image) and make a connection between one of the assigned secondary readings for both chosen weeks and one theme or key issues raised in both of those week's lecture.

Forum posts (75-100 words max.) should be uploaded PRIOR to the start of students' tutorials, and students should be prepared to discuss their selection in the tutorial. In advance of tutorials, students should review other students’ postings and be prepared to comment on them in tutorials.

Examination(s)

The final 'open-book' exam will cover the entire course (lectures and readings). It will require synthesis of the assigned materials discussed throughout the semester. It will take place during the scheduled examination period. More information will be provided in the Week 12 lecture and preparation tips will be provided in the tutorials.

Assessment Task 1

Historical document analysis

Primary source essay

Details of Task:

Criteria: Choose one visual OR one written primary source, produced between the medieval period up to 1800. Images of historical objects (e.g. a blood-letting lance) may also be chosen, as long as you can document its source.

Question: How does this source help to illuminate the issues of power and authority in the history of sickness and health for this particular place and period?

To inform your analysis, draw on ONE of the course’s secondary readings from Week One to Week Four, plus AT LEAST ONE of the course’s ‘further readings’ from those weeks.

Your essay must include a list of references consulted (including a hyperlink to the primary source) and clearly attribute both primary and secondary sources in footnotes or endnotes. Follow the History Essay Guide for citation advice

Word limit: 1,000 words (excluding notes and bibliography).

Value: 20%

Due Date: 22 August 4 p.m.

Return Date: Wk. 7

You must select your primary source from a published primary source or digital archive:Using one visual OR one written primary source, produced PRIOR TO 1800, analyse how it address the issues of power and authority in the history of sickness and health. Use at least ONE of the course’s secondary readings from Week One to Week Four to inform your analysis.

Your essay must include a list of references consulted (including a hyperlink to the primary source) and clearly attribute the source of primary and secondary sources.Using one visual and one written source, analyse how they address the issues of power and authority in the history of sickness and health prior to 1800. Word limit 1,000 (excluding notes and bibliography).

Your essay must include a list of references consulted, and clearly attribute the source of primary and secondary sources.

Your selections must be drawn from an approved digitised historical archive.

Assessment Task 2

Primary Source post

Students should select a primary source (written, visual, oral) and interpret its relevance to the history of public health by reference to the lecture from the same week. It will require students to post sources in time for the scheduled tutorial (e.g. source relating to week three's lecture posted in time for week three’s scheduled tutorial).

Students must include a full reference for the source. Students may NOT ‘double-dip’ a source for the primary source essay.

Students must select a source that was not used in the lecture. Post ONE source interpretation before the mid-semester break; post the SECOND source interpretation after the break. In tutorials, students may be called upon to discuss their choice and interpretation. Prior to each tutorial, students should scan other students’ postings and be prepared to comment on them.

Word limit: 150 words

Value: 10 % [2 posts @ 5% each]

Due Date: post ONE between weeks 2 and 6; post ONE between weeks 7 and 11.

Assessment Task 3

Research Essay: Historical case study of sickness and health

Conduct research, using primary and secondary sources, to produce a case study of a public health policy (e.g. quarantine) or strategy (e.g. vaccination). Select a jurisdiction and focus on a discrete period BETWEEN 1800 and the present. Your introduction must explain your choices and state your answer to the question. 

Question: How did the public health policy or strategy you selected produce distinct outcomes for different groups?

 

You may focus on an infectious disease (e.g. plague, TB, smallpox, syphilis, influenza), or a non-communicable disease or disorder (e.g. cancer, diabetes, asthma, obesity, addiction, mental or physical disability). 

Your essay must include a list of references consulted (including a hyperlink to the primary source) and clearly attribute both primary and secondary sources in footnotes or endnotes. Follow the History Essay Guide for citation advice.

 

Word limit: 2300 words

Value: 30%

Due Date: 3 October 4:00pm

Return Date: 22 October

Assessment Task 4

Final Examination

The final 'open-book' online exam will cover the entire course. It will require students to synthesise the materials they have read and discussed throughout the semester. It will be scheduled during the semester final exam period. More information will be provided in the Week 12 lecture and preparation tips will be provided in the tutorials.

Assessment Task 5

Tutorial Participation

Participation will be evaluated by the quality of responses to the questions posted for each week’s readings. Students should attend tutorials having completed the readings and considered the posted discussion questions.

 

The participation grade is not assessed on the basis simply showing up for tutorials; however, attending tutorials and taking part in discussions is essential to participate.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

Assignments submitted by the due date will be marked within two to three weeks of submission. Final examinations are not returned.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmission of assignments is not permitted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students