SGLK17006U The Anthropology of Global Health

Volume 2018/2019
Education

MSc Programme in Global Health - compulsory

Content

This course investigates connections between anthropology and global health. The general aims of the course are to link illness experiences with socio-political factors and to understand social and cultural influences of health, sickness, and interventions around the world.

This course introduces students to core concepts in medical anthropology relevant for the analysis of individual response to illness and affliction and for an understanding of how relationships between patients and health care providers are shaped.

Key course topics include: Population dynamics and the relation to global health; health, wealth and development; illness narratives and therapeutic trajectories, health care systems and healing traditions; life-course, lifestyles as well as the role of medical technologies.

Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to think critically and creatively about health problems and policies and to envision innovative and effective responses to some of the main health challenges. Furthermore, students will be work with policy brief development.

Learning Outcome

Learning objectives:

On completion of the course, students should be able to:

Knowledge

  • Understand health care practices and perceptions in the broader social and political context.
  • Describe and discuss social and cultural factors influencing health, sickness and therapy in low- middle and high-income societies
  • Identify and discuss, from an anthropological point of view the role of the different stakeholders at international, national, and local levels.
  • Describe main global health challenges and discuss possible responses to these challenges

 

Skills:

  • Work in inter-disciplinary settings
  • Apply relevant theoretical concepts in the analysis of selected social and cultural aspects influencing health care practices.
  • Communicate research-based knowledge efficiently through such genres as policy briefs and portfolio development.

 

Competencies:

  • Critically evaluate (selected) central aspects of health care interventions from an equity perspective
  • Develop and present short analyses of selected health care challenges based on case studies and/or critical reading of articles.
  • Demonstrate good communication competencies
Must hold a bachelor degree in a relevant scientific discipline, including 5 ECTS course work in qualitative and quantitative research methodology, respectively
Different pedagogical approaches will be used during the module:

• Formal lectures by selected teachers followed by discussions
• Group assignments (both small class-room assignments as well as home-work assignments)
• Case-work
• Student presentations
• Portfolio development
• Peer-feedback
• Workshop on policy briefs
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 16
  • Exercises
  • 27
  • Lectures
  • 27
  • Preparation
  • 134
  • Total
  • 204
Collective
Feedback by final exam (In addition to the grade)

The course responsible offers general feedback after the exam.

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
The student must hand-in a total of 3 portfolios at three specific (given) dates (one
portfolio on each of these dates) during the course in order to have two of the portfolios
assessed by the examiners. If the student does not hand in all three portfolios, which will be registered by course certificate, he/she
will not be allowed to take the exam.

The portfolios are individual assignments.

The length of each portfolio should max be 8.000 keystrokes incl. spaces. The total
length of the three portfolios should be maximum 24.000 keystrokes incl. spaces (excl. title page, page of content and references, incl. notes).

The purpose of the portfolios is to ensure that students work in depth with the course
material during the course rather than at the end of the course only. The lecturer
(course responsible) does not see the portfolios before the final exam.
Exam registration requirements

The student must hand-in a total of 3 portfolios at three specific (given) dates (one portfolio on each of the dates) during the course in order to have two of the portfolios assessed by the examiners. If the student does not hand in all three portfolios, which will be registered by course certificate, he/she will not be allowed to take the exam.

The portfolios are individual assignments.

The length of each portfolio should max be 8.000 characters incl. spaces. The total length of the three portfolios should be maximum 24.000 characters incl. spaces (excl. title page, page of content and references, incl. notes).

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
More than one internal examiner.
Exam period

See the exam schedule

Re-exam

See the exam schedule

Criteria for exam assesment

 

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student must be able to demonstrate

Knowledge

- on the social and cultural factors influencing health, sickness and therapy in low-, middle and high-income

-on the broader social and political context for an understanding of  health care practices and perceptions

- on the role of different stakeholders at international, national and local levels


Skills

- related to the analysis of selected social and cultural aspects of health care in a global context

-related to the formulation of short policy briefs on current global health issues
 

Competencies
-- in critical evaluation of central (selected) health care policies and interventions applying core concepts from medical anthropology and related fields