This course will explore a number of different dimensions of global health in context such as ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, life stage and societal aspects. Students will develop a critical understanding of both descriptive and intervention focused research (qualitative and quantitative) into how health is influenced by social context, along with key theoretical perspectives.

2 hours per week over 10 weeks

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Assessment will be via formal coursework constituting a 4000 word essay.

This course will aim to enable students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds to develop a critical understanding of key issues associated with global health and health inequalities within their social contexts.

By the end of the course students should be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of:

o How the social context can influence both an individual's health and the health of populations globally, drawing on appropriate empirical and theoretical work;

o How people's social positions, exposures and societal contexts influence their physical and mental health and capacity to lead healthy lives, and how these factors change over the life course. This understanding should include both general overviews of a range of key issues and more detailed specific examples;

o "What works' in improving health: Introduction to identifying, appraising and learning from social interventions that may contribute to health improvement or reductions in social inequalities in health; and

o How qualitative and quantitative research methods are used in the study of global health in context.

Generic regulations apply