ANTH42215: Planetary Health in Social Context

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• To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the origins of Planetary Health as an emergent research field;
• To engage students in critical reflections on current debates and issues in Planetary Health (e.g. climate change, emerging infectious diseases, population growth and cities, etc.);
• To encourage students to take an interdisciplinary perspective in approaching problems/questions in Planetary Health, with a solid social sciences foundation.

• Origins of Planetary Health as a new field of research and its antecedents (Global Health, Political Ecology, etc.).
• Key current issues / themes in Planetary Health. These will vary year-on-year but are likely to include topics such as: Climate change and energy; Ecological disruptions and emerging zoonotic diseases; Population growth and food security; Urbanisation and making sustainable cities; Conflicts and global refugee movements; Food security; Pollution and toxicity; Poverty and global inequalities.
• A range of theoretical perspectives drawn from across the social sciences (and beyond) to understand and interrogate Planetary Health problems, with a commitment to productive inter-disciplinary engagement. For example: political ecology, critical global health, environmental anthropology, energy studies, etc.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Understanding of the disciplinary and political origins of Planetary Health.
• Understanding of key contemporary issues and debates within Planetary Health.
• Knowledge of key relevant theoretical perspectives.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Ability to critically evaluate and apply a range of theoretical perspectives to contemporary issues in planetary health.
• Ability to synthesise, critically evaluate and present complex material, including data, models and theoretical arguments.

Key Skills:

• Ability to engage critically with a range of literature and secondary data sources.
• Ability to communicate succinctly and clearly in both oral and written format.
• Ability to bring together and contrast different disciplinary perspectives on key contemporary issues.

• This is an intensive workshop-based course. Following an initial introductory lecture, there are weekly 90-minute workshop over the course of one term. In each workshop session, teaching staff set out the broad contexts and key issues (c. 30 minutes), followed by student-led discussion and associated activities (c. 60 minutes). Workshops provide an opportunity for students to read, synthesize and present recent primary references and major reviews within a range of literature relating to Planetary Health. Students are equipped with the skills and encouraged to engage closely and critically with up-to-date research; to gain practice in presenting relevant materials to others; and to learn collaboratively as well as individually.
• Summative assessment consists of an extended piece of writing (3,000 words). This make take the form of a formal essay, but may also take other forms; for example, a public-facing communications piece or a policy brief.

Formative assessment will be the introductory section of the main essay plus a plan of the remainder (c. 1000 words in total). Additional verbal feedback will be provided in workshop sessions, to help students hone their communication and critical evaluation skills.

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