Here you’ll find reading lists, syllabi, and examples of student work.
Global Mental Health syllabus — redesigned for online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic syllabus
This syllabus includes plans for synchronous and asynchronous learning, humane rubrics for participation in live and asynchronous discussions, and language you may use in developing your own teaching materials. If you would like to acknowledge this work in your own materials, feel free to include my website address or Twitter handle.
Reading Lists
Ethnographies about Mental Health/Illness: A working list of recent ethnographies by cultural anthropologists addressing mental health, mental illness, and psychiatric practice. Note: I limited the publication range (generally) to the past twenty years. Most are written by anthropologists; some are by sociologists. (email additions for the list to amy.cooper@slu.edu).
Syllabi
I teach courses in cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, global health, anthropological theory and methods, and Latin American studies. My teaching is based on student-led discussions, collaborative and research-based learning, and writing as a process of thinking.
“Dr. Cooper handled remote learning better than any other professor. She is absolutely brilliant as a professor, but she also understands that her students have lives outside of being students. She ran the course in a way that was accessible to all yet still promoted learning. I spent the most time on this class since going remote, but it was also the class I was least stressed about. The emphasis on mental health, checking in with each other, etc. made this a great learning environment. It was no–pressure, but still required effort. Again, the reading notes were great because they held us accountable for our learning.” – anonymous student evaluation, May 2020
“Dr. Cooper is easily the best teacher I’ve ever had. She’s so intelligent and passionate about anthropology, and she really cares about her students. We’re her equals. I’ve taken two classes with her and I’ve learned more in her classes than probably all of my other classes combined. I can’t say enough good things about her.” – anonymous student evaluation, May 2019
For more information my courses and to download course syllabi, click on the links below.
Health and Healing in Latin America
Amy Cooper 