Faculty of Humanities and Education (Postgraduate) - The University ...

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POSTGRADUATE REGULATIONS & SYLLABUSES 2012 - 2013
THE FACULTY OF HUMANITIES & EDUCATION
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
6.1 HEPR 6001 - The Health and Human Relationships
Knowledge Base (4 credits)
Course Overview
Part 1: Nature and nurture – the social construction of health
Just as the literature review is the indispensable basis for sound
research, a sound evidence-base is an essential foundation
for any discipline. In the case of programmes to work with
controversial and highly stigmatized conditions (such as HIV
and Sexually Transmitted Infections STIs) and for working with
marginalized populations, starting with a sound knowledge
base is obligatory. This unit, like the entire Master degree
programme, is based on the premise that all knowledge is
socially constructed and that it is never possible to separate
nurture from nature without creating a false binary. This course
will therefore cover both. Recognizing that knowledge is socially
constructed lays the groundwork for reflexive evaluation of the
students’ own values and attitudes, which will be encouraged
throughout the course.
Part 2: Sexual and reproductive health
Within this unit there will be a special focus on sexual and
reproductive health. This sub-theme builds on the earlier
material in the unit and develops it to a much greater level of
detail. The basis for this theme is to explore sensitive and taboo
issues of sexuality, gender, and health more deeply. There are
several reasons for highlighting sexual health in this course: (1)
there is an urgent need to strengthen the Caribbean response
to the AIDS epidemic; (2) sexual health has been the most
difficult element of HFLE to implement in the Caribbean to date;
and (3) because of the complexities of this area, strong skills in
sexual health promotion will be extremely useful in other areas
of health promotion.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
• Demonstrate an understanding of the need for a reflective
awareness of the dignity of the person, and how this value
impacts on public policy and on an individual’s choice and
action
• Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of health
• Critically examine the determinants of health
• Demonstrate an understanding of the colonial and postcolonial
basis for health
• Discuss the social contexts/social construction of health
(including sexual health) in the Caribbean
• Discuss gender issues in relation to health
• Demonstrate an understanding of the milestones of human
development from embryology through to ageing
• Relate lifestyle practices to chronic non-communicable
diseases and HIV/AIDs in the Caribbean
• Apply basic biomedical knowledge to inform the
development of health promotion interventions.
• Demonstrate skills in framing biomedical explanations to
suit particular social and cultural contexts
• Demonstrate a reflexive awareness of stigma,
marginalization, and discrimination, as they impact on the
health and rights of individuals
CONTENT
• Human dignity
• Perspectives on the construct of health
• The nature/nurture debate
• Determinants of physical, social, and mental health
• Social construction of health in the Caribbean
• Gender and health
• Biomedical knowledge base – application and critique
• Chronic non-communicable diseases and lifestyle
practices
• Stigma theory, marginalization, prejudice, discrimination,
and human rights
• Humandevelopment&ëthe7ages’:embryology,childhood,
puberty, early adulthood, ageing
• Introduction to public health
• Introduction to sexual health
• Sexuality and health in Caribbean society
• STIs / HIV/AIDS
• People with HIV
• Infertility and contraception, pregnancy,
and parenthood
• Sexual function and dysfunction
Major competencies to be developed
• Gain new perspectives on the relationship between nature
and nurture
• A spirit of enquiry into the relationship between social
contexts and health
• Reflexive and critical thinking in relation to social justice
and health
• A biomedical knowledge-base to underpin future health
promotion work, including sexual health promotion.
• Communication skills for discussing sexual health in a
meaningful and accurate way
• A practical and grounded understanding of the
relationships between stigma, marginalization, and health
and how these might affect health promotion
ASSESSMENT:
Coursework Assignment 40%
Examination 60%
Required reading
Chevannes,B. (2001). Learning to be a man: Culture, socializtion
and gender identity in five Caribbean communities. Mona:
UWI Press. (ISBN: 976 640 092 X)
Goffman, E. (1963). Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled
identity. Simone & Schuster. (ISBN: 06710622447)
Kelly, M. J., & Bain, B. (2005). Education and HIV/AIDS in the
Caribbean. Kingston: Ian Randle.
Mac an Ghaill Mairtin (1994). The making of men: Masculinities,
sexualities and schooling. Buckingham: Open University
Press. (ISBN: 0-355-15781-5)
Reddock,R.ed. (2004). Interrogating Caribbean Masculinities:
Theoretical and empirical analyses. Kingston: University of
the West Indies Press. (ISBN: 062117110523)
Weeks, J. (1985). Sexuality and its discontents. London: Routledge.
(ISBN: 0-415-04503-7)