Adapting B.F. Skinner’s classic book in establishing the foundations of behavioral science Beyond Freedom and Dignity (1971), this course aims at examining the historical background and cultural elements behind health behaviors in order to investigate, consider, and debate on the humanly constructed “environment” as opposed to bio-physically, genetically, based conditions of critical social conducts. Outstanding and critical health-related conducts such as alcoholism, domestic violence, sexism, dietary obsession are selected for the examination of their historical roots, cultural significances versus potentially physiological attributes for a due appreciation of socio-cultural factors in the study of health behaviors.
本課程由行為科學經典，史基納名著《自由與尊嚴之外》出發，探討健康行為背後之歷史與文化「環境」。課中將擇眾所周知之特殊行徑，如酗酒、家暴、性別歧視，飲食異常等為例，並閱讀相關歷史、文化與健康研究之文獻進行分組討論，以突顯人類行為所挾帶之時間向度，社會文化意涵，以及一般醫療與健康科學所關注之生理與遺傳性因素。