| Unit name | Health Policy in a Global Context (SPS) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL20061 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Dodds |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit explores measures of health in an international context and the limitations of such measures, including global patterns in life expectancy, mortality and morbidity, and key factors involved in the global distribution of health. The focus is on differences between and within countries using various demographic and socio-economic measures. The unit then examines relationships between health and policy, focusing on formal and informal health systems, the role of social, economic and political influences on health policy, and the impact of globalisation and global restructuring on health policy. We look at aspects of global health governance and the impact of transnational companies on health. The unit concludes with an examination of various theoretical frameworks to explain the persistence of global health inequality, the role and relevance of different intergovernmental and transnational actors, and the limitations of global health governance.
Students are expected to develop an understanding of:
This unit will draw on a blended learning approach. Students will engage with taught content that is self-paced (including, for example, narrated slides and other teaching and research materials). Students will be tasked to complete activities in a mix of individual work and collaborative study groups. Live sessions will also be scheduled where students will present and discuss ideas and clarify learning with the tutor alongside students in the same study groups. The materials used for these sessions will be separately shared for those unable to attend. A weekly Office Hour will be complemented by periodic monitoring and responses to online discussion space for student reflections, summaries and Q&A.
Part 1: Case study (750 words or equivalent) (25%) - assesses ILOs 1&2
Part 2: Essay (2250 words) (75%) - assesses ILOs 3-5
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL20061).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
