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| Semester | fall semester 2023 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers |
David Mawufemor Azilagbetor (david.azilagbetor@unibas.ch)
Bernice Simone Elger (b.elger@unibas.ch, Assessor) Lester Geneviève (lester.genevieve@unibas.ch) Aoife Milford (aoife.milford@unibas.ch) |
| Content | Following the tragic police killing of George Floyd in 2020, public and scientific attention have been reignited on the topic of racism in general, and on structural racism in particular. Structural racism does not limit itself to law enforcement, all domains including medicine and biomedical research have also been affected. Historically, medicine has always been rooted in scientific racism, which led to the propagation of racist beliefs and prejudices, many still persisting to this day with negative influences on access and the quality of care offered to minority patients (as recently evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, with disproportionate hospitalization and mortality rates for racial and ethnic minorities). With regard to medical research, racial and ethnic minorities were often viewed as easily accessible and expendable experimental subjects. Relatively recent examples include the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment (1932-1972), Nazi medical experimentation on Jews and other minorities (1942-1945), the case of Henrietta Lacks in 1951, the experimentation of dangerous chemical compounds on the skin of black prisoners in the 1950s-1970s or the exploration of a link between aggressive behavior and genetics in black children in the 1990s. Such discriminatory actions and past historical abuses have created a complex climate of distrust, minority exclusion and widening of racial health disparities that cannot be tackled from only one perspective but necessitates a holistic approach, cognizant of the need for reconciliation and restorative justice. Therefore, this fall’s Contemporary Debates Seminar will introduce the concept of race as a social construct, introduce the different forms of racism, and explore their effects and the ethical issues they raise in medicine and biomedical research. The seminar will subsequently discuss solutions to ensure that these fields promote health equity and social justice, and debate the need for an antiracist agenda. In these eight interactive sessions, course participants will attend presentations from leading international and national experts, and invited to discuss the ethical issues and proposed solutions at the end of each session. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Comments | Mondays 12:15-13:45 Universitätsspital Klinikum 1, Hörsaal 1 on the following dates: 09.10.2023 16.10.2023 23.10.2023 13.11.2023 20.11.2023 27.11.2023 04.12.2023 11.12.2023 |
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 09.10.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Monday 16.10.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Monday 23.10.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Monday 13.11.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Monday 20.11.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Monday 27.11.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Monday 04.12.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Monday 11.12.2023 | 12.15-13.45 | USB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 1 |
| Modules |
Aufbaumodul (Teil C) (Transfakultäre Querschnittsprogramme im freien Kreditpunkte-Bereich) Aufbaumodul (Teil D) (Transfakultäre Querschnittsprogramme im freien Kreditpunkte-Bereich) Doctorate Biomedical Ethics: Recommendations (PhD subject: Biomedical Ethics) Doctorate Nursing Science: Recommendations (PhD subject: Nursing Science) Electives Master Nursing: Recommendations (Master's Studies: Nursing) Modul: Praktische Philosophie (Master's degree subject: Philosophy) Modul: Probleme der Praktischen Philosophie (Bachelor's degree subject: Philosophy) Modul: Soziologische Theorie BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Sociology) Modul: Soziologische Theorie MA (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Modul: Weltgesellschaft und Globalisierung (Master's Studies: Religion - Economics - Politics) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | 1. Only one unexcused absence will be allowed. An additional absence may be allowed only if satisfactory reasons are provided. 2. Students are expected to write a 1300 words essay (bibliography excluded) on one of the topics presented during the seminar, and include their personal thoughts on the ethical issues raised and the solutions discussed. Essays are to be written in English (Arial, font size 11 and 1.5-line spacing). More details will be provided at the introductory class. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: teaching staff |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Medicine |
| Offered by | Institut für Bio- und Medizinethik |