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| Semester | fall semester 2020 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund (andrea.kaisergrolimund@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Medical anthropologist Arthur Kleinman once noted that "Global Health ... is more a bunch of problems than a discipline" (Kleinman 2010, 1518), involving not only multiple approaches and moral principles but also diverse methodological techniques and epistemologies. In this block seminar, we will examine the much-debated field of global health from an anthropological perspective and critically reflect on the different engagements of anthropologists in the field of global health, for example when it comes to putting public health knowledge into practice and/or contributing to a critical debate on the unintended consequences of global health policies. Emerging health problems such as COVID-19 or the Zika virus, but also antimicrobial resistance, require global solutions and involve a variety of actors and initiatives. Flows of international aid move from wealthier to poorer countries and change the way certain health problems, such as cancer or other chronic conditions, are addressed and prioritised in different local contexts. This seminar will not only discuss colonial legacies and earlier "magic bullet" approaches, but will also explore social theories of global health, which will then help us to analyze a selection of case studies from around the world that highlight different aspects of global health. |
| Learning objectives | -An overview of past and present debates about global health -A critical understanding of anthropological perspectives on global health -Ability to read and critically evaluate academic texts |
| Bibliography | An extensive list of the relevant literature will be distributed at the beginning of the semester. Lock, M. M., & Nguyen, V. (2018). An Anthropology of Biomedicine. Wiley-Blackwell. Biehl, J. G., & Petryna, A. (2013). When People Come First: Critical Studies in Global Health. Princeton University Press. Farmer, P. (2013). Reimagining Global Health. University of California Press. Kleinman, A. (2010). Four Social Theories for Global Health. Lancet 375 (9725): 1518-9. |
| Comments | Please note that this seminar is offered as a block course. The block days will consist of synchronous (zoom) and asynchronous (individual/group work) work phases. |
| Admission requirements | The number of participants is limited to 24 people. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to the subjects listed under "modules". |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Fields: Governance and Politics (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul: Fields: Public Health and Social Life (Master's degree program: African Studies) Modul: Sachthemen der Ethnologie (Bachelor's degree subject: Anthropology) Modul: Theory and General Anthropology (Master's degree subject: Anthropology) Modul: Transfer: Europa interdisziplinär (Master's degree program: European History in Global Perspective) Modul: Wissenschaftliche Vertiefung in der Ethnologie: Sachthemen (Bachelor's degree subject: Anthropology) Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Global Ageing and Health (Master's Studies: European Global Studies) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Preparatory reading, active participation and discussion of key texts. Oral and written contributions based on various case studies related to global health. If you would like to write a seminar paper in this course, please contact Andrea Kaiser-Grolimund before the beginning of the semester (andrea.kaisergrolimund@unibas.ch). |
| 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 | Fachbereich Ethnologie |