Universität Wien

240119 VS Health and Poverty (3.2.5) (2014W)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 24 - Kultur- und Sozialanthropologie
Continuous assessment of course work

Participation at first session is obligatory!

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 40 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 08.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 15.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 22.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 29.10. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 05.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 12.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 19.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 26.11. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 03.12. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 10.12. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 17.12. 09:45 - 11:15 Seminarraum A, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 07.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 14.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 21.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock
  • Wednesday 28.01. 09:45 - 11:15 Hörsaal C, NIG 4. Stock

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The seminar explores the relationship between health and poverty as well as the role of NGO’s, international organisations and donors with respect to health projects in a local context in the third world. It is widely known that poverty and ill-health are closely related to one another: ill-health retains poor in poverty, and poverty, in turn, generates and sustains ill-health. The problem is most acute in developing countries. The fundamental question is: how to break the vicious circle? There have been various efforts to implement poverty reduction agendas and health development plans in order to improve social conditions and health situation in the third world. The paradox, however, is that agendas, plans and projects that are implemented to improve everyday circumstances, might have detrimental impact on the health status in local communities. If so, the social distribution of diseases seems to be a fact. In short, the main issue to be discussed in the seminar is the significance of socio-political conditions as a source of health problems. Summary of the course outline:

1. Inequality, ill-health and poverty
2. Commodification of health
3. The problem of food and water
4. Man made epidemics
5. Diseases of development

Assessment and permitted materials

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The intention of the seminar is to discuss various problems that are related to health and poverty in the developing world, such as to explore the impact of development projects on health status and to examine the privatization of health care and the role of medicines. Special emphasis will be given to Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Examination topics

The seminar is based on discussions, in addition to lecturing, that are related to texts that will be read and presented by participants in the seminar. Furthermore, every participant, as a member of a sub-group, will offer a group presentation and write a final report that is related to the topic of the seminar.

Reading list

The reading list and a more detailed course outline will be given during first meetings.

Supplementary reading list:

Amrith, S., Decolonizing International Health: India and Southeast Asia, 1930-65. Palgrave, 2006.

Blystad, A., Moland, K. Technologies of Hope? Motherhood, HIV and Infant Feeding in Eastern Africa. Anthropology & Medicine 16, 2: 105118, 2009.

Knox, J. Exploring the Potential for a Culturally Relevant HIV Intervention Project: a Swaziland Example. Anthropology & Medicine 17, 1: 8798, 2010.

MacDonald, T.H. Third World Health: Hostage to First World. Radcliffe Publishing, 2005.

Parker, R., Sommer, M. (eds). Routledge Handbook of Global Public Health. Routledge, 2011.

Perryna, A., Lakoff, A., Kleinman, A. (eds.). Global Pharmaceuticals: Ethics, Markets, Practices. Duke University Press, 2006.

Prince, R.J., Marsland, R. (eds.). Making and Unmaking Public Health in Africa: Ethnographic and Historical Perspectives. Ohio University Press, 2013.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:39