Solving Toughest Problems in Public Health (Eve)

This class will explore foundational concepts and operating principles in the field of public health. We will study some of persistent challenges in the field of public health through cases in various global communities.  What is the “positive deviance” method in public health research? What are the relationships between these problems and the cultural and physical environment where they rise? How do researchers work with communities in understanding these challenges? What roles do local community members play in identifying practices and solutions existing in the local environment?  How do we define and measure success in various cultural settings? How can we make public health intervention’s success sustainable in communities experiencing gross disparity in health and economic resources? Beyond retrospective research and study, we will examine current environmental challenges affecting public health, through research, practices and discussions in order to answer some of the questions. We will conceptualize the connections between public health and environment, in our exploration of one of the research methods of public health.

This class will provide foundational information for students who have career interest in public health, education, consulting, human services, and health policy and equity.

Course Objectives:  Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Gain insight of “positive deviance” as a powerful research methodology in solving public health problems in some of most deprived communities.
• Understand the importance of local physical and cultural environment in solving public health problems in communities.
• Employ knowledge of public health and positive deviance methodology as a means to communicate ideas in problem solving.

Required Texts:

Richard Pascale et al (2010), The Power of Positive Deviance: how unlikely innovators solve the world’s toughest problems, Harvard Business Press, Boston, Massachusetts; ISBN: 978-1-4221-1066-9

Other study material will be provided by faculty with free access