ACL 205 — Health Literacies
This interdisciplinary course asks students to examine the literacy skills individuals must possess in order to navigate complex discourses related to health and medicine and make informed decisions about physical and mental healthcare. Students will learn about and apply literacy strategies that diverse individuals across the lifespan (e.g., individuals with literacy and/or language [dis]abilities, ELLs, seniors) can employ to access, decode, comprehend, reason about, and apply the discourses of health and medicine. Through practical, hands-on activities, students will hone health literacy skills vital for both self-care and empathic advocacy of those in their care (e.g., children, siblings, parents). Students will also interrogate the role that health professionals and a range of organizations, including employers, can play in supporting individuals’ health literacies. Special attention will be paid to the role that access to health literacies play in building a socially just society.