Gender and Health
Mondays, 4:55-6:35pm, Silver 712
Instructor: Melinda Pavin ()
Office hours: Mondays 4:00pm (email to set appointment)
Description
This course examines the interaction between gender and health. Through readings and class discussions students will explore: a)gender theory and its application to health, and b) health practices, services and utilization by sex (male/female). Gender theory will cover issues of body, self, personhood, and power within a health context. Health issues related to gender will focus on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), including topics such as reproductive health, HIV, maternal health, and gender-based violence. Students will be asked to apply critical thinking blending theory and application. Course readings will cover a range of international settings, including the Americas and Europe, as well as transitional and less developed settings.
Objectives:
By the end of this course the students will be able to:
- Describe epidemiological differences in morbidity and mortality between men and women.
- Identify gender differences in healthy behaviors, health seeking behavior, access and use of health services from the client and health care provider’s perspectives,and discuss the impact of these differences.
- Describe other gender-based influences on wellness and heath care utilization, such as gender roles and norms, power, personhood, pollution and taboos, gender-based violence, etc.
- Describe how gender equity and rights approach can be incorporated into sexual and reproductive health programming
Course Content:
The course will include readings and discussion on:
- Gender/sex as a contributing factor to disease and health
- Social construction of gender
- Gender inequalities and health
- Gender and the client-provider interaction
- Special topics of gender and health, such as family planning, HIV, female genital cutting, gender-based violence, maternal health
Course Format
This is a seminar course. Students will be expected to do weekly readings as preparation for class discussions. Discussion of the readings is fundamental to understanding issues that contribute to gender inequalities in health outcomes. For each set of readings students will be expected to write a response stating their relevance to the subject matter, and will prepare three questions for discussion that will help to clarify the readings and/or assist the class to delve further into the issues and theory. A few of the classes will include short lectures to assure all class members have a fair understanding of the underlying theory and concepts.
Assignments
Reading Responses: weekly one page responses reflecting on the assigned readings
Presentation: 10 minute presentation of a case study focused on a health issue affected by gender.
Midterm: a brief on a theory or contributing factors related to gender that plays a role in health, health service utilization, and/or health outcome. (Maximum 5 pages single spaced + bibliography)
Final: a case study on a health issue with a gender interaction. This can be a disease, health service, health policy, health intervention, health practices, etc. The student must present the health issue and how gender plays a role or affects this topic. (Maximum 10 pages + bibliography)
Student Evaluation:
Reading Responses and Class Participation (30%)
Because class participation is essential, attendance is expected. More than three absences is unacceptable and may affect your grade. Please contact the Instructor if you have three or more absences.
Case Study Presentation (20%)
Midterm – Social Determinant Brief (20%)
Final – Case Study Paper (30%)
1
Monday / Topics / Proposed Readings1 / 1/24/11 / Overview Terms
1)“sex” and “gender”
2)Epidemiologic term: measures of association
3)MDGs: gender and health / UN. The Millennium Development Goals Report 2010
Porta M. Dictionary of Epidemiology. 2008
2 / 1/31/11 / Intro: Why does gender matter
[Sign up for Presentations] / CSDH (2008). Closing the gap in a generation: health equity through action on the socialdeterminants of health. Final Report of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health. Geneva, World Health Organization.. CHAPTER 13: Gender equity. pp 145-154. (
Krieger N. (2003) Genders, sexes, and health: what are the connections—and why does it matter? International Journal of Epidemiology 2003;32:652–657
Denton M, Prus S, Walters V. (2004) Gender differences in health: a Canadian study of the psychosocial, structural and behavioural determinants of health. Social Science & Medicine 58 (2004) 2585–2600
Phillips SP (2005) Defining and measuring gender: A social determinant of health whose time has come. International Journal for Equity in Health 2005, 4:11 doi:10.1186/1475-9276-4-11
3 / 2/7/11 / Social constructs of gender
- Socially defined gender norms and roles
- The “body” in the health care setting
Scheper-Hughes N, Wacquant L, eds. 2002. Commodifying Bodies. LondonThousand Oaks: Sage Publications
Rapp R. 2001. Gender, body, biomedicine: how some feminist concerns dragged reproduction to the center of social theory. Medical anthropology quarterly 15:4. 466-77
Courtenay WH. (2000) Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men's well-being: a theory of gender and health. Social Science & Medicine 50 1385-1401
Needham B, Hill TD. (2010) Do gender differences in mental health contribute to gender differences in physical health? Social Science & Medicine Volume 71, Issue 8, 1472-1479
Moen P, Chermack K. (2005) Gender Disparities in Health: Strategic Selection, Careers, and Cycles of Control. Journals of Gerontology: SERIES B, Vol. 60B (Special Issue II): 99–108.
4 / 2/14/11 / Power and Empowerment in a health / Anderson JM. (1996) Empowering patients: issues and strategies. Social Science & Medicine 43(5): 697-705.
Cheater A. (1999). Power in the Postmodern Era. The anthropology of power: empowerment and disempowerment in changing structures. A. P. Cheater. London ; New York, Routledge: 1-12.
Kaufman MR., Shefer T, et al. (2008). Gender attitudes, sexual power, HIV risk: a model for understanding HIV risk behavior of South African men. AIDS Care 20(4): 434-441.
Salmon P, Hall GM. (2003). Patient empowerment and control: a psychological discourse in the service of medicine. Social Science & Medicine 57(10): 1969-80.
Wolf ER. (1999). Envisioning Power: Ideologies of Dominance and Crisis. Berkely/Los Angeles, University of California Press.
Mosedale S. (2005) Assessing women's empowerment: towards a conceptual framework. Journal of International Development. Volume 17, Issue 2, pages 243–257.
2/21/11 / PRESIDENTS DAY
5 / 2/28/21 / Individual rights and power / Foucault. Power / Knowledge: Selected interviews & other writings. Two Lectures: Lecture Two. (pp 92-108)
Douglas M. Purity and Danger. (pp 1-7)
Farmer P. Pathologies of Power: Rethinking Health and Human Rights. AJPH. 1999, Vol. 89, No. 10, 1486-1496.
ZolaI.Medicine as an Institution of Social Control. Sociological Review 1972. 20:4. 487-504
6 / 3/7/11 / Client-Provider Interactions and Gender / Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York, Anchor Books, Doubleday.
Kleinman A. 1981. Patients and Healers in the Context of Culture: an exploration of the borderland between anthropology, medicine, and psychiatry. Berkeley: University of California Press. 427 pp.
7 / 3/14/11 / Social Inequality and Health / Raphael D. Social Determinants of Health: Present status, unanswered questions, and future directions. International J of Health Services; 36;4;651-677, 2006
Marmot M. Achieving health equity: from root causes to fair outcomes. Lancet 2007; 370: 1153-63.
Starfield B. Pathways of influence on equity in health. Social Science and Medicine. 2007; 64: 1355-1362.
Islam MK, Merlo J, Kawachi I, Lindstrom M, Gerdtham UG. Social capital and health: Does egalitarianism matter? A literature review. International Journal for Equty in Health 2006; 5:3.
SPRING BREAK
8 / 3/21/11 / Gender Inequality in Health / Women and Gender Equity Knowledge Network. Unequal, Unfair, Ineffective and Inefficient - Gender Inequity in Health: Why it exists and how we can change it. Final Report to theWHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health. September 2007
Field M, Shkolnikov V. Russia: socioeconomic dimensions of the gender gap in mortality. In: Evans et al. Challenging inequities in health: from ethics to action. New York, OxfordUniversity Press 2001.
Maganja RK., Maman S Groves A, Mbwambo JK. Skinning the goat and pulling the load: transactional sex among youth in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. AIDS Care, 2007. 19(8): 974-81.
Jewkes R, Penn-Kekana L, and Rose-Junius H. ''If they rape me, I can't blame them": reflections on gender in the social context of child rape in South Africa and Namibia. Social Science and Medicine. 2005. 61(8): 1809-20.
Wamala S, Ågren G. (2002) Gender Inequity And Public Health: Getting Down To Real Issues. European Journal Of Public Health 2002; 12: 163–165
9 / 3/28/11 / Reproductive Health / BlancAK. 2001. The effect of power in sexual relationships on sexual and reproductive health: an examination of the evidence. Studies in Family Planning, Volume 32, Issue 3, pages 189–213, September 2001
Dudgeon MR, Inhorn MC. Men's influences on women's reproductive health: medical anthropological perspectives. Social Science & Medicine, Volume 59, Issue 7, October 2004, Pages 1379-1395
10 / 4/4/11 / HIV: male circumcision , sex differentials in testing, PMTCT, sexual transmission (heterosexual and MSM), transactional sex / Greig, A., Peacockb D, Jewkes R, Sisonke Msimang S. Gender and AIDS: time to act. AIDS, 2008. 22 Suppl 2: S35-43.
WHO, ICRW. Integrating Gender into HIV Programs. 2003
Dworkin SL. (2005) Who is epidemiologically fathomable in the HIV/AIDS epidemic? Gender, sexuality, and intersectionality in public health. Culture, Health & Sexuality, Volume 7, Issue 6 November 2005 , pages 615 - 623
Pulerwitz, J., G. Barker, et al. (2006). Promoting More Gender-equitable Norms and Behaviors Among Young Men as an HIV/AIDS Prevention Strategy. Horizons Final Report, Population Council, PATH, Instituto Promundo.
11 / 4/11/11 / Gender-Based Violence / Lang DL, Salazar LF, Wingood GM, DiClemente RJ, Mikhail I. (2007) Associations Between Recent Gender-Based Violence and Pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Infections, Condom Use Practices, and Negotiation of Sexual Practices Among HIV-Positive Women. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2007;46:216–221
Pallitto CC, O’Campo P. (2005) Community level effects of gender inequality on intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy in Colombia: testing the feminist perspective. Social Science & Medicine. Volume 60, Issue 10, May 2005, Pages 2205-2216
McCloskey LA, Williams C, LarsenU. (2005) Gender Inequality and Intimate Partner Violence Among Women in Moshi, Tanzania. International Family Planning Perspectives, 2005, 31(3):124–130
12 / 4/18/11 / Female circumcision / Morison L, Scherf C, Ekpo G, Paine K, West B, Coleman R, Walraven G. (2001) The long-term reproductive health consequences of female genital cutting in rural Gambia: a community-based survey. Tropical Medicine and International Health, volume 6 no 8 pp 643-653 August 2001
WHO. Female genital mutilation. Fact sheet N°241. February 2010
World Health Organization (2010) Global strategy to stop health-care providers from performing female genital mutilation UNFPA, UNICEF,UNHCR, UNIFEM, WHO, FIGO, ICN, IOM, WCPT, WMA, MWIA.
13 / 4/25/11 / Gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender / Meyer IH. Why Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Public Health? American Journal of Public Health June 2001, Vol. 91, No. 6
Boehmer U, Twenty Years of Public Health Research: Inclusion ofLesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations. American Journal of Public Health July 2002, Vol 92, No. 7
14 / 5/2/11 / Development and Relief Work
[email certificate from IASC course to Melinda.] / Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). Gender e-Learning Course.
15 / 5/9/11 / Last Day of Class
16 / 5/16/11 / FINAL PAPER DUE
1
NYY Wagner - Academic Policies / Academic Code
A. Introduction
These procedures supplement the Student Disciplinary Procedures of New York University, as approved by the vote of the Wagner school faculty on May 14, 2003.
As permitted under New York University by-laws and disciplinary procedures, the faculty of the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service adopts the following procedures for informal resolution of complaints and for cases of formal student discipline. The procedures described below are not exclusive and are not intended to prevent informal resolution.
B. Disciplinary Violations
Students of the Wagner School and New York University have joined an academic community that presumes certain behaviors and norms. As members of this community, students are expected to conduct their academic work with the highest integrity and to avoid any behaviors that jeopardize the well-being of others or disrupt educational activities. Accusations of behaviors that constitute disciplinary violations of either academic dishonesty or community offenses are covered by these procedures.
1. Charges of Academic Dishonesty
Academic disciplinary violations include, but are not limited to: cheating on exams or assignments, plagiarism, providing your work for someone else to submit as his or her own, collaborating on work intended to be done individually, or forgery of academic documents. Plagiarism consists of presenting ideas or words without adequate acknowledgement of their source and, as with other acts of academic fraud, is a violation based on fact rather than intent. Any of the following acts constitute plagiarism:
a. Using a phrase, sentence, or passage from another person’s work without quotations marks AND attribution of the source. (Both quotations and attribution are necessary);
b. Using text from a source that is rearranged, paraphrased or discussed without attribution to the source;
c. Submitting work where a central idea for a section/paragraph is taken from a source, written in the student’s own words and not cited in the text;
d. Submitting work completed by another (including work that was accessed via the internet) copied in its entirety or modified without attribution to the source;
e. Submitting your own work towards requirements in more than one class without the explicit prior permission of the instructors.
In addition to the aforementioned examples of plagiarism, below we provide several websites that discuss plagiarism further. For research resources and to help you learn about appropriate citation of the many different sources you will use in your work at Wagner, see Writing under "Academic Services." Resources for understanding and avoiding plagiarism:
- "Plagiarism: What is It and How to Recognize and Avoid It," The Writing Center at Indiana University,
- "Principles Regarding Academic Integrity," Northwestern University,
- "Sources," Dartmouth College, and
2. Offenses Against the Community
Offenses against the community are behaviors that jeopardize the physical or emotional health or safety of its members or disrupt educational or Wagner community activities (classroom activities or other official school sponsored events such as town hall meetings). These include, without limitation, damaging premises, interference with access to academic facilities or offices, and physical or other interference with or harassment of others.
C. Disciplinary Procedures
Complaints can be filed by faculty members, students and administrators and will be fielded by the Chair of the Disciplinary Committee. Upon receiving a complaint, and depending on the nature of the offense and whether informal resolution has already been attempted, the Chair may attempt to resolve matters informally, with the consent of all parties. If informal resolution by consent is not possible for any reason, the Chair will conduct a preliminary investigation to determine whether or not it is necessary to proceed with formal hearings.
If the Chair determines that the complaint warrants proceeding with a formal hearing, the Chair will notify the student (hereinafter the 'student') against whom the complaint was filed in writing of the charges within 48 hours. The written complaint will state the policies that have been alleged to be violated by the Student. The Chair will then create a Hearing Panel from the available Committee members.
1. Discipline Committee
The standing Disciplinary Committee will be composed of a total of five members, with three faculty members (or two faculty and one administrator)– including the Chair – and two student members. The two students will be selected by the Dean's office from a pool of students either self-nominated or nominated by the Wagner Student Association. The students will join the Committee as first-year, second-term students. All committee members will serve for a minimum of three semesters, with overlapping, staggered terms.
2. The Hearing Panel
The Hearing Panel will consist of three people, including the Chair (two faculty members and one student or one faculty member, one administrator and one student). Any committee members with conflicts of interest should excuse themselves from serving. In advance of the hearing, the Chair will present the case materials to the Hearing Panel. The Chair will also ask that the complainant and the Student submit the names of all witnesses that they would like present at the hearing. The Hearing Panel has the discretion to limit the number of witnesses appearing at the hearing as it deems appropriate, and the Chair may request certain witnesses to attend the hearing and to testify.
3. Hearings
The Hearing Panel shall control the conduct of the hearing proceedings. The Chair shall instruct everyone participating in the disciplinary proceeding of the confidentiality of such proceedings.
The hearing shall not be governed by formal rules of evidence.
Following the hearing, the Hearing Panel shall meet in closed session. The Hearing Panel shall first vote on whether the Student has committed the alleged disciplinary infraction, and then, if necessary, the Hearing Panel will decide the disciplinary sanction to be imposed. A majority vote of the Hearing Panel is necessary for a valid decision.
The Student has the right to have the Hearing Panel request the presence of a reasonable number of witnesses on his or her behalf, though the Hearing Panel cannot compel the attendance of such witnesses.
A tape-recorded record of the hearing shall be made. In addition, the Chair shall prepare minutes of the hearing, which include:
a. A short statement of the charge against the Student;
b. A summary of the findings of fact and conclusions made by the Hearing Panel;
c. A statement of the decision of the Hearing Panel; and
d. The penalty imposed by the Hearing Panel.
The Chair shall inform the Dean of the Hearing Panel's findings. The Dean shall promptly provide the Student with a copy of the Hearing Panel’s decision, and all appropriate notations in the Student’s record shall be made.
4. Rights of the Student
The Student has the right to be informed in writing of the charge(s) against him or her and the name(s) of the person(s) who filed the complaint.
The Student has the right to consult with an adviser or counsel of his or her own choosing (who may be an eligible and consenting faculty member) to assist him or her in the preparation of the defense. No member of the Committee or Dean shall be eligible to serve as an adviser under this section. The adviser or counsel may assist the Student in the preparation of the Student's case for the initial hearing and any appeal. The adviser or counsel may also appear at any prehearing and hearing and shall have the right to examine by putting questions directly to the witness, or by asking questions through members of the hearing body. The method shall be determined by the hearing body and may be altered by it at any time.