Module ANTH42215: Planetary Health in Social Context

Department: Anthropology

ANTH42215: Planetary Health in Social Context

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the origins of Planetary Health as an emergent research field;
• To engage students in critical reflections on current debates and issues in Planetary Health;
• To encourage students to take an interdisciplinary perspective in approaching problems/questions in Planetary Health, with a solid social sciences foundation.

Content

• Origins of ‘Planetary Health’ as a new field of research and its antecedents (Global Health, Political Ecology, etc.).
• Key current issues / themes in Planetary Health. These will vary year-on-year but are likely to include topics such as: Climate change and diseases; food and water scarcity; pollution and toxicity; health inequalities, hazards and disasters.
• A range of theoretical perspectives are drawn from across the social sciences (and beyond) to understand and interrogate Planetary Health problems, with a commitment to productive inter-disciplinary engagement. For example: political ecology, critical global health, environmental anthropology, disaster studies, etc.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding of the disciplinary and political origins of Planetary Health.
• Understanding of key contemporary issues and debates within Planetary Health.
• Knowledge of key relevant theoretical perspectives.

• Ability to critically evaluate and apply a range of theoretical perspectives to contemporary issues in planetary health.
• Ability to synthesise, critically evaluate and present complex material, including data, models and theoretical arguments.

• Ability to engage critically with a range of literature and secondary data sources.
• Ability to communicate succinctly and clearly in both oral and written format.
• Ability to bring together and contrast different disciplinary perspectives on key contemporary issues.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• This is an intensive workshop-based course. In each workshop session, teaching staff set out the broad contexts and key issues, followed by student-led discussion and associated activities. Workshops provide an opportunity for students to analyse, synthesize, and discuss a variety of text relating to Planetary Health.
• Summative assessment consists of viva voce/oral examination (c. 20 minutes) comprising a recorded 10 minute tedx style talk that presents anthropological approaches to thinking about a problem or issue in planetary health. The lecturer and student will watch the recorded talk together, after which the lecturer will lead a 10 min viva voce where the student will be asked to reflect on their choices of resources used to develop the talk. Notes are permitted in the viva voce but these will not be assessed.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment will be seminar discussion, where students will have the opportunity to articulate and respond to key issues, debates, and learning materials in a way similar to the summative oral examination.

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.