Gender and Health: Introductory Perspectives

WGH 211 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This course introduces students to gender as both a theoretical concept and a critical category of analysis in public health and epidemiology. Students will explore how gender, together with other axes of identity and inequity – including race, class, and sexuality – shapes health experiences and outcomes within and across populations. By using a variety of critical theoretical perspectives, including feminist, queer, and intersectional approaches, the course will address questions such as: What do “sex” and “gender” really mean in the context of public health, and why do these distinctions matter for both individuals and populations? How do sexed and gendered factors, from biology to policy, contribute to health inequities in the U.S. and around the world? In what ways can feminist, queer, and intersectional approaches deepen our understanding of health research, evidence, and interventions? What are the impacts of neglecting gender in public health research, and how can these gaps be addressed? How can we most effectively communicate knowledge about gender and health to a range of audiences?

Over the course of the semester, students will engage with a range of case studies, current events, empirical research, and personal narratives to gain a multifaceted understanding of how gender shapes health across diverse contexts. Topics will include (but are not limited to): reproductive justice, chronic and infectious diseases, mental health, gender-based violence, LGBTQ+ health, femininities and masculinities, and the health impacts of discrimination, marginalization, and oppression vs. community, connection, and joy. Sessions will incorporate domestic, global, and historical perspectives, and blend investigation of epidemiologic research with insights from the social and behavioral sciences and health policy. Assignments will foster students’ abilities to critique research for gender bias, apply theoretical frameworks, and communicate about gender and health through accessible, creative forms of public scholarship