This course examines the ethics of medical practices and issues in contemporary society. Coursework will pose questions regarding areas that affect human life and death. Topics include practices such as euthanasia, birth control and abortion, cloning, genetic engineering, and biomedical research. Students will analyze the ethical nature of covered practices, how they affect humans on individual and social scales, and the relationship between patients and physicians and medical structures in terms of information, consent, and responsibility. Case studies from local European as well as non-European countries will be closely considered for discussion and study.
This course examines the practice and basic principles of addiction to drugs of abuse such as heroin, alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or cocaine. Course topics will cover the epidemiology of drug abuse, the experimental models used in brain research, and the pathological consequences of drug addiction (including heavy drinking and smoking). The course will extend the concept of addiction to pathological behaviors such as compulsive consumption of palatable food, physical exercise dependence, compulsive shopping, sexual hyperactivity, internet abuse, and gambling. The neurochemical mechanisms that are shared and lead from reward to positive reinforcement, loss of control, and dependence will be examined. The symptomatological and neurochemical similarities and differences between drug and behavioral addiction will be addressed, along with the self-destructive behaviors, tolerance, craving, and withdrawal symptoms that both types of dependence produce.
The course traces also the basic aspects of human biology and physiology that are needed to fully comprehend the topics at hand, including the neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters that are altered by both natural and artificial rewards. Students will also learn how to analyze scientific data and correctly interpret the information that is published in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. Finally, students will gain an understanding of the social and ethical implications of drug and behavioral addiction and of the peculiar features of this problem in different countries, with an emphasis on the European and Italian approach as compared with other areas of the world.
This course retraces the historical impact and scientific components of a series of diseases, from the Black Death in Florence and Milan to Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Polio, Ebola, and Covid-19 across the world. It addresses both the distribution and determinants of health-related diseases in specified populations, distinguishing between endemics, epidemics, and pandemics. The course also explores the effects of social mobility on the spread of diseases from antiquity to present-day scenarios. It defines and differentiates across rates, prevalence, and incidence to calculate and predict the spread of diseases.
This course retraces the historical impact and scientific components of a series of diseases, from the Black Death in Florence and Milan to Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Polio, Ebola, and Covid-19 across the world. It addresses both the distribution and determinants of health-related diseases in specified populations, distinguishing between endemics, epidemics, and pandemics. The course also explores the effects of social mobility on the spread of diseases from antiquity to present-day scenarios. It defines and differentiates across rates, prevalence, and incidence to calculate and predict the spread of diseases.
The course focuses on the fundamentals of social work, exploring the values, the code of ethics, and the types of services of this practice-based profession. Various social work spheres are explored throughout the course, including services for the underprivileged, children, older adults, women, disabled individuals, people suffering from mental health issues, drug addicts, and convicts. The course provides tangible illustrations of social work institutions, with particular emphasis placed on the social fabric of Florence, to show how this discipline contributes to the well-being of both individuals and societies. At the same time, the course also investigates social work in relation to globalization and multiculturalism, to showcasing transnational shared goals and objectives.
