Basic Concepts in Gender, Public Health and Policy Making

Basic Concepts in Gender, Public Health and Policy Making
Explain the concept of health disparities based on your understanding from the readings so far. How does gender play a role in health disparities? Were you surprised by anything you learned? What are some of the differences in health related to gender in terms of a) biology and b) social and environmental experience?
References:

Bardach, Eugene and Patashnik, Erik. A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More EffectiveProblem Solving. Fifth Edition. CQ Press. 2015. (BARDACH in syllabus) ISBN-13: 978-1483359465

Bird, Chloe E. and Reiker, Patricia P. Gender and Health: The Effects of Constrained Choices and Social Policies. Cambridge University Press. 2008. (BIRD&REIKER in syllabus) ISBN-10: 0521682800 | ISBN-13: 978-0521682800

Weissert, Carol S. and Weissert, William G. Governing Health: The Politics of Health Policy. Fourth Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2006. (WEISSERT&WEISSERT in syllabus) Electronic Book 9781421408460 | Paperback 9781421406213

New York Times, Health and Science Sections.

With this module we begin to get deeper into the issue of gender in health broadly and in the piolicy process. Watch the film and browse the website. Then do the readings. I have given you links to a number of different gender-specific websites from the US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Browse those links but don’t spend too much time on them for now. Be sure to check out their website as well. http://www.hrsa.gov/index.html
You should be regularly checking the NY Times Health and Science pages (and any other sections you might be inetrested) for stories relevant to the course. Finally, those of you who have not taken a gender studies course, pay special attention to the chapter on Gender and the State as the concepts discussed in it will be central to the course. Those of you have taken course in gender studies before should find this a useful review. The issue of POWER, who has it, who doesn’t, and how one’s proximity to it affect one’s opportunities and challenges will be part of our discussions throughout the course.

Film: Unnatural Causes: When the Bough Breaks
Unnatural Causes Website
http://www.unnaturalcauses.org/
Readings:
BIRD&REIKER: Chapts. 1- 2
Basics of Gender and the State Chapter
HRSA websites
NY Times