Seminar on Social Conditions and Health
- Course Number
- CHL5438H
- Series
- 5400 (Epidemiology)
- Format
- Seminar
- Course Instructor(s)
- Arjumand Siddiqi, Faraz Vahid Shahidi
Course Description
This is a seminar course that is intended to take on theoretical, conceptual, and methodological
issues is research on the relationship between social conditions – such as race and racism,
socioeconomics, politics, policy and political economy, and so on – and health. The purpose is
(a) to investigate some major critical discourses and issues in the field and, (b) to apply these
discourses to critical decisions and reflections involved in course participants’ ongoing research.
The course is intended to be highly interactive and conversational. It is driven by the desire to
provide time and space for people in this field of research, across a range of disciplines, to
discuss issues in the field and to learn from each other. The course will involve analysis of
scientific papers, in-depth exploration of statistical methods, and analysis of issues students are
facing in their research.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Articulate and contribute to broad, scientific discussions about how social conditions
influence population health and health inequalities. - Write and orally present critical analyses about broad, scientific discussions involved in
examining how social conditions influence population health and health inequalities. - Write and orally present in-depth critical analyses about a specific area of research
involved in examining how social conditions influence population health and health
inequalities.
Methods of Assessment
| Co-Lead Class Discussion | 20% |
| Weekly Reflections | 10% |
| Class Participation | 20% |
| Grant-style, written critical reflections on student’s own research | 30% |
| Oral Presentation of critical reflections on student’s own research | 20% |