Medicinal Plants in Cross-Cultural Perspectives
MW 11:30-1:20pm CMU 230
Course Description
In this course we explore how different cultural traditions encourage understanding, cultivation, and use of plants as medicine. Drawing on western science (botany), ethnobotany, medical anthropology, and Indigenous knowledge systems, the course examines plant-based healing practices across diverse cultural, historical, and ecological contexts—from the continents of Africa, North and South America, and Eurasia (east to west). Students will analyze how plant-based medicinal knowledge is shaped by culture, empirical knowledge, ideologies, colonial histories, and relationships to land, while also considering contemporary issues such as globalization, intellectual property, conservation, and the integration of traditional medicine into biomedical systems. Through case studies, readings, and discussions, students will develop a comparative understanding of human–plant relationships and the cultural significance of medicinal plants worldwide. The course will include guest lectures by several specialists/practitioners in the fields of plant-based medicines and traditional medical systems, and on-campus explorations of plants with medicinal properties (including in our very own UW Medicinal Herb Garden).