Key Topics in Political Economy:Global Health

Sophie HarmanQueen Mary University of London

What I teach and Who I teach• Undergraduate: Global Governance, International Organisations, Theories

of Global Politics – Lectures and Seminars– YouTube and Lecture Capture

• Postgraduate: Global Governance, International Financial Institutions and Global Politics of Health and Disease– Lectures and Seminars

• Global Politics of Health and Disease– MSc Global Public Health and Policy – MSc Health Systems and Global Policy– MA International Relations– MA Globalisation and Development– MSc Public Policy

The Topics I Cover

• History and Context • Understanding Health and Disease (inequality, right to health,

security)• Global Governance of Health• HIV/AIDS• Addiction: Tobacco and Drugs• Obesity and Malnutrition• Age and overpopulation• Neglected Disease

Where’s the political economy in all this?

Challenges

• Teaching Political Economy to Health students• Teaching Political Economy to Public Policy students• Teaching health to IR/political economy students– Beyond states and markets– Relearning language (and acronyms!) of health

• Fear of Maths and Economics• Emerging field– Synthesising health and political economy literature– No core syllabus to go off

• Sensitive issues

Overcoming these challenges

• Mixing health and politics students• Drawing on students experience and own lives• Balance of humour and sensitivity• Highlighting contemporary topics and issues in the media• Including non-academic texts on reading list• Inviting students to relevant workshops, lectures outside

of University• Additional office hours and one-one feedback on

assessment• Seminar structure

How I teach

• 2/3 part seminars– Clear outline in the beginning– Reading feedback– Student-led discussion– Presentations– Wrap up mini lectures (handouts and moodle)

• Reading Lists– Required reading – 2/3 academic + 1 policy– Picking on students

Assessment• City

– 4000 word essay (Students create own question)• QMUL

– 4000 word essay– 2000 word critical text analysis– Presentation

• Sample Questions– How has economism impacted on the mandate of the WHO? – To what extent can the state govern childhood obesity?– Has the WTO’s amendment to TRIPs had any impact on access to health?– Do the opium wars have contemporary significance for the global war on drugs?– Is it politics or innovation that limits progress towards malaria eradication?– What role does ownership have in the reconstruction of health systems in South

Sudan?– Is tobacco the triumph of neoliberalism over health?

Concluding thoughts and tips

• Learn and share with colleagues in same field• Develop networks among colleagues and students• Challenging students is not a bad thing• Tap into individual student interests• Include your research and experience in teaching• Situate learning with students own experiences

• Interdisciplinary teaching may come with new challenges but most rewarding teaching I’ve done