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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Social and Political Science : Postgrad (School of Social and Political Studies)

Postgraduate Course: Globalisation and public health (IPHP11009)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Social and Political Science CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryGlobalisation is fundamentally changing the challenges confronting public health, transforming health risks while simultaneously creating new opportunities. Economic globalisation affects the health status of populations through its impact on wealth creation and wealth distribution within and between countries. In a global economy health risks and the determinants of health are increasingly transnational, while the traditional primacy of the nation state in health policy is being challenged. Public health has traditionally emphasised equity and distributive justice in health and health care, and the increased reliance of governments and international organisations on market forces constitutes a challenge to the normative and conceptual bases of this tradition. This course will enable students to develop an understanding of the key drivers of globalisation and the mechanisms by which it is impacting on public health.
Course description Globalisation is fundamentally changing the challenges confronting public health, transforming health risks while simultaneously creating new opportunities. Changes brought about by Globalisation can be viewed in relation to social, economic, political and environmental domains. Economic globalisation affects the health status of populations through its impact on wealth creation and wealth distribution within and between countries. In a global economy health risks and the determinants of health are increasingly transnational, while the traditional primacy of the nation state in health policy is being challenged. Public health has traditionally emphasised equity and distributive justice in health and health care, and the increased reliance of governments and international organisations on market forces constitutes a challenge to the normative and conceptual bases of this tradition.
This course introduces different conceptual understandings of globalisation and each Unit examines key processes and drivers of Globalisation, the social political, economic and environmental domains it affects and their impacts on public health and health policy.

Aim: to enable students to analyse and evaluate key drivers and the diverse impacts of globalisation on public health and on policy-making

Globalisation can be understood as the widening, deepening, and speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness. The various processes that characterise Globalisation are fundamentally changing the challenges confronting public health, transforming health risks while simultaneously creating new opportunities. Among these, economic globalisation affects the health status of populations through its impact on wealth creation and distribution within and between countries. In a global economy health risks, determinants and responses are increasingly transnational, and this challenges the traditional primacy of the nation state in determining health policy. Public health has traditionally emphasised equity and distributive justice in health and health care, and the increased reliance of governments and international organisations on market forces constitutes a challenge to the normative and conceptual bases of this tradition. This course will enable students to develop an understanding of the key drivers of globalization, and the processes, institutions and mechanisms by which it is impacting on public health policy.

This course will:
- Examine competing analytical approaches to the nature and significance of globalisation
- Introduce conceptual frameworks to assess the diverse implications of global change for public health
- Critically assess the impacts of global economic integration on health inequalities
- Examine the social and cultural impacts of global economic change
- Discuss the impacts of evolving international policy mechanisms on health policy, notably the constraints on policy options imposed by agreements under the World Trade Organisation
- Assess the implications for public health of environmental changes associated with globalisation

Outline Content

The course will be structured around 5 teaching units; an introductory class that will outline key debates on Globalisation, its key characteristics and contemporary significance and conceptual frameworks for understanding its impacts on public health. The remaining four units will each examine the social, economic, political and environmental changes (drivers and processes) associated with Globalisation and how these impact on public health.

The course will be taught by a combination of a weekly lecture (at which attendance is strongly recommended) and seminars (at which attendance should ordinarily be regarded as compulsory). Seminars will use different formats, including group work and discussions, poster and oral presentations to peers and role-plays. You will be expected to read in advance and take active part in seminars, as this is a central part of the learning process.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Examine competing conceptions of globalisation and diverse frameworks for understanding how globalisation impacts on public health
  2. Critically assess the impacts of global economic integration on health inequalities
  3. Analyse the implications of trade and investment agreements for health policy, including with reference to dispute settlement within the World Trade Organization
  4. Examine the implications for public health and health policy of demographic changes associated with globalisation, including the migration of health workers
  5. Assess the relationships between globalisation, environmental change and public health
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Anuj Kapilashrami
Tel: (0131 6)50 3939
Email: Anuj.Kapilashrami@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr Lee Corcoran
Tel: (0131 6)51 5122
Email: Lee.Corcoran@ed.ac.uk
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