A UCLA Fiat Lux seminar examines how misinformation takes root in media, conspiracy theories and public distrust in health care.

“The Anatomy of Deception,” offered during winter quarter, examines misinformation in media, conspiracy theories and distrust in health care. Fiat Lux seminars are one-unit interdisciplinary courses that encourage students to engage in thought-provoking discussions without the pressure of a letter grade.

Sean Prall, an assistant professor of anthropology, spends 50 minutes every Monday leading a 13 student discussion examining the socioeconomic factors that shape health care decisions, drawing from his research in Namibia and worldwide health care dynamics.

Prall said the course stems from both academic curiosity and personal experience. As an anthropologist who worked with tribes such as the Himba people, a seminomadic group living in remote areas, he said he witnessed how medical mistrust can manifest in communities.

Prall added that during lectures, he recounts moments where he would accompany people in need of urgent care to hospitals in Namibia, only for them to face discrimination from health care workers.

“I’ve seen women in labor be berated by nurses for being ‘dirty from the bush,’” Prall said. “They need health care, but they get treated very poorly by doctors and nurses.”

His interest deepened when the COVID-19 pandemic magnified medical mistrust globally, such as through vaccine hesitancy, he said, and that it led him to pursue a grant to study vaccine decision-making in Namibia. The grant ultimately inspired his “Anatomy of Deception” course at UCLA along with Sara E. Gorman’s 2024 book of the same name, he added.

Aleksey Dvorkin, a first-year mathematics student, said he took the class because it offers an opportunity to explore ideas outside mathematics, which he said is a nice change of pace.

“What stood out to me was discussion of how conspiracy theories were formed,” Dvorkin said. “Some people use it as a comfort, almost, because they’re not really sure of the information that is officially presented if they can actually believe that.”

Despite the course having little connection to his major, Dvorkin said he values the interdisciplinary discussions and broad perspectives it encourages.

Prall said one of the most memorable moments from the course was when students discussed misinformation surrounding recent California wildfires, serving as a reminder of how the material applies to everyday life experiences.

“I was really surprised about the number of conspiratorial things that people had heard about the fires and who was causing them and who was gaining monetary benefit out of them, and that they were intentional,” Prall said.

Similarly, third-year anthropology student Bel Savastio said they were drawn to the course by its intriguing name and found the content as compelling once they started coming to class.

The course taught Savastio to reevaluate their quick judgments, they said, as college students are often exposed to misinformation. It also made them more aware of the privileges certain countries have in health care.

“He (Paul) did work in Namibia in Africa and we were talking about how one of the more rural communities makes medical decisions, like when to get their children vaccinated, because it’s a two-hour drive to a hospital,” they said. “And so it’s a big deal.”

They added that they enjoy the discussion-based format of the class, as it brings together thoughtful students exploring the same questions, leading to engaging and insightful conversations.

Ultimately, Prall said he hopes the class encourages students to develop a more nuanced understanding of health care decision-making, considering the broader factors that shape trust in medical institutions and beyond.

“Mistrust is a good thing to study right now, given that we are in a political environment where low-level conspiratorial thinking and mistrust is really common,” Prall said.