Insegnamento a.a. 2024-2025

30497 - HEALTH AND SOCIETY

Department of Social and Political Sciences

Course taught in English

Class timetable
Exam timetable
Go to class group/s: 31
CLEAM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - CLEF (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - CLEACC (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BESS-CLES (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - WBB (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BIEF (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BIEM (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BIG (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BEMACS (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07) - BAI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/07)
Course Director:
DAVID STUCKLER

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: DAVID STUCKLER


Suggested background knowledge

- To understand core concepts, issues, and debates in global health - To apply social and political science perspectives to the analysis of health problems - To identify research questions and designs on global health topics.

PREREQUISITES

We will assume knowledge of statistics at a basic level

Mission & Content Summary

MISSION

This course provides an introduction to current themes, perspectives and debates in the field of global health. Students will not only gain an awareness of major topics of discussion, such as around childhood obesity and HIV/AIDs, but be able to critique institutional responses to them. It is organised into three parts: I. Understanding the Burden of Disease - Measuring the burden of death and disability - Chronic non-communicable diseases - HIV and TB - Mental health - Risk factors, including obesity and tobacco II. The causes of the causes - Social, cultural and political determinants of health - Income inequality & health - Financial crisis, social protection & health III. The key players - The Role of the World Health Organization - The philanthropists and aid debates - Big Food, Tobacco and Alcohol Companies - Big Pharma

CONTENT SUMMARY

- Critically evaluate global health issues by applying social science theories and tools

- Critically evaluate the role of global health institutions in mitigating or exacerbating epidemics

- Interpret empirical evidence in health-related academic literature

- Perform synthesis of empirical research in global health fields


Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

- Critically evaluate global health issues by applying social science theories and tools

- Critically evaluate the role of global health institutions in mitigating or exacerbating epidemics

- Interpret empirical evidence in health-related academic literature

- Perform synthesis of empirical research in global health fields

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

At the end of the course student will be able to...

- Critique global health institutions and actors

- Differentiate the quality of health research and identify ‘gold-standard’ evidence

- Perform systematic literature reviews of research studies


Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Individual works / Assignments

DETAILS

Individual assignment to perform a systematic literature, combined with students presentations with group discussions of themes


Assessment methods

  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
     x
  • Individual Works/ Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    
  • Collaborative Works / Assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
 x    

ATTENDING STUDENTS

Exam – 60%

There is one general written exam counting for 60% of the overall grade.

Written exams will include both short answers and essay-style questions. The questions will cover theory, and interpretation of the results of applied research. The exam will cover all topics of the course. Material covered in the lectures, in the textbook and other set readings may be included in the exam.

 

Presentation – 20%

The presentation will cover 30-40 minutes outlining the readings. It will be conducted by students either alone or in a group of two. This is worth 20% of the overall grade.

 

Project – 20%

The project is an applied research project which may be conducted by students working alone or also in a group of up to two persons. This project is also worth 20% of your grade. Students working in couple will receive the same grade, so choose and manage your partner carefully.

 

The project will be intended to demonstrate the ability to address a topical research question, scope and identify available data sources, and develop a feasible study design. It may be beneficial to draw on experience from previous quantitative, qualitative or other methodological courses. The paper will follow a structured template, with introduction, methods, results, and, where possible, conclusions. It will be described in further detail in the classroom. The maximum length of the project is 1,500 words


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Exam – 100%

There is one general written exam counting for 100% of the overall grade.

Written exams will include both short answers and essay-style questions. The questions will cover theory, and interpretation of the results of applied research. The exam will cover all topics of the course. Material in the textbook will be included in the exam.


Teaching materials


ATTENDING STUDENTS

Available through links on the syllabus


NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS

Merson, Michael H., Robert E. Black, and Anne J. Mills. Global health: Diseases, programs, systems, and policies: Fourth Edition. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2018

Last change 28/11/2024 12:54