SFV4700 Globalisation and the Development of Health and Social Policy Emneplan

The course presents the main debates concerning the impact of economic, cultural and political globalisation on health and social welfare in different parts of the world, and the role of multilateral agencies (including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund) in influencing social and health policies in high-, middle-, and low-income countries.

Language of instruction is English

None.

A student who has completed his or her qualification has the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The student has advanced knowledge of

• main theoretical and empirical debates concerning how globalisation impacts upon health and social welfare in different parts of the world
• trends in economic growth, poverty and inequality
• The importance of the demographic and epidemiological transitions for understanding differences in health status and social welfare between as well as within countries
• welfare state changes in high, middle and low income countries
• how decisions are made in multilateral agencies (in particular the World Health Organisation, the World Bank and IMF), and the polities of multilateral organisations
• the relationship between international and national health policy and social policy

Skills

The student can

• review and discuss different theoretical perspectives on the relationship between globalisation and local policy development
• investigate health and social policy outcomes in different countries
• investigate how demographic and socioeconomic changes influence disease patterns and changes in health and social inequality
• analyse how various aspects of globalisation influence health and social policy outcomes in high, middle and low income countries

General competence

Candidates are capable of

• contributing to the debate on how various aspects of globalisation pose challenges as well as opportunities for the development of health and social policy
• identifying and evaluating how health and social policy designs can be adopted to global policy challenges
• participating in the debate concerning how multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and WHO perform their roles with regard to global health and social policy challenges

The course is organised into a series of lectures and seminars. Students are expected to play an active role. Lectures are given by the course lecturer and invited lecturers. Students will also be required to present papers, and discuss course themes during lectures and seminars.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

Coursework 1: The student must submit a coursework paper of at least 1700 words (in addition to front page, list of content and list of references), written individually or in groups of max 4 students. A student must have approval from the course lecturer in order to write individually. The paper must be approved by the course lecturer.

Coursework 2: The coursework papers are to be presented at a seminar, or poster session, or zoom gathering. Participation in the seminar, or poster session, or zoom gathering is mandatory. 

Students whose papers are not approved after the first submission will be given the chance to resubmit once. Papers that are not approved after two submissions will disqualify students from sitting the final examination.

A student who is absent from the presentation will have to submit a compensatory coursework requirement within a given deadline.

The student's learning outcome will be assessed on the basis of a 3 days (72 hours) individual written home exam of max 4300 words. Font and font size: Calibri, 12 point. Line spacing: 1.5.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A - F

The exam papers are assessed by one internal and one external examiner.

A random selection consisting of at least 25% of the exam papers will be graded by both an internal and external examiner. This will inform the grading of the remaining exam papers.

Einar Øverbye