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76660-01 - Proseminar: Health, Power, and Inequality: A History of International Organizations (1945-1990) (3 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2025 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | |
| Content | This course explores how health, power, and inequality have been shaped by international organisations debates and practices in the decades following the Second World War, from 1945 to 1990. Focusing on institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank, we will examine how these bodies influenced global health policy during a period marked by political and social tensions, decolonisation, and economic change. Key moments, such as the Alma-Ata Declaration, and central debates, including whether health should be seen as a universal right or a market-driven service, will guide our inquiry into the ideals and challenges of building global health equity. Through case studies from Latin America and Africa we will consider how Cold War dynamics, international development agendas, social movements and financial constraints shaped these organisations’ public health efforts on the ground. By the end of the course, students will gain a clearer understanding of how historical decisions continue to shape global health today, and how international cooperation has both advanced and limited the pursuit of health for all. |
| Bibliography | AMRITH, Sunil. Decolonizing International Health: India and Southeast Asia, 1930-65. Springer, 2006. CUETO, Marcos, BROWN, Theodore M., et FEE, Elizabeth. The World Health Organization: A History. Cambridge University Press, 2019. KOTT, Sandrine et DROUX, Joëlle (ed.). Globalizing social rights: the International Labour Organization and beyond. Springer, 2013. MAZOWER, Mark. Governing the World: The History of an Idea. New York: Penguin, 2012. PACKARD, Randall M. A History of Global Health: Interventions into the Lives of Other Peoples. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 16.15-18.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 3 |
Dates
| Modules |
Modul: Basis Neuere / Neueste Geschichte (Bachelor's degree subject: History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Geschichte |