070114 UE Guided Reading Global History - History of Public Health (2023S)

Health is both a matter of individual wellbeing and a public issue where state and non-state actors negotiate social orders and political visions. Encompassing a range of activities from sanitary regulations and disease control to hygiene practices and education campaigns, in the 19th and 20th century public health evolved into a national and international political field. The internationalization of public health was closely connected to phenomena like nation-building, imperialism, humanitarianism, and global governance. In this course, we will look at the history of public health in the long 20th century from a global perspective. How were public health issues defined, framed, and tackled? How did individuals and institutions shape the knowledge and techniques of public health, and how were these embedded in political and societal norms and power relations? How were notions of individual and collective responsibilities and endangerments negotiated? How were national, international, and imperial constellations intertwined, and how did they evolve?

The course will introduce you to different research approaches in the history of public health. We will read a variety of case studies on public health issues and actors in the 20th century, occasionally complemented with select source material. Apart from discussing source terms and analytical concepts, we will cover aspects like international networks, organizations, science and medicine, expertise, body politics, gender, media, sites and spaces.

With an emphasis on peer-group exchange, the course focuses on structured and reflective reading. The aim is to familiarize you with approaches to critical text analysis. You will be able to summarize, analyze, discuss, and evaluate research literature both in writing and in oral discussion.

The course takes place on-site as a regular in-person class. However, the June sessions may possibly take place as online sessions via Zoom, more information will follow soon.