Global Health

SOCIO 376-0-20: Special Topics in Sociological Analysis: Global Health and Transnational Social Movements

Spring Quarter 2012 TuTh 9:30am-10:50am Annenberg Hall G15 Instructor: Tom Waidzunas, Ph.D. Visiting Lecturer, Department of Sociology Postdoctoral Fellow, Science in Human Culture Program Northwestern University Office: University Hall, Room 023 E-mail: t-waidzunas@northwestern.edu Web page: http://www.sociology.northwestern.edu/faculty/Waidzunas.html Office phone: 847-491-3202 Office hours: Tuesday 11am-12:20pm, Wednesday 1pm-2pm, and by appointment TA: David Peterson E-mail: davidpeterson@u.northwestern.edu Office hours: Thursday 11am-11:50am, Plaza Café, University Library

Course Summary:

Increasingly in recent years, activists have been working and thinking transnationally— organizing across borders to challenge perceived global injustices, including injustices within the arena of “global health.” While various international institutions affect human health, many activists often claim these institutions have misplaced priorities, or that resources have been unfairly allocated. Much attention has been granted to the “global justice” movement, which has challenged global financial institutions (e.g. World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, World Bank) involved in global development projects that affect human health. While global health institutions like the World Health Organization stand in complicated relationships with global neoliberal institutions, nation states, and movement organizations, they can be both targets and allies of activists. The network of pharmaceutical companies and global finance institutions have been key targets of transnational activists concerned with health as well. Needless to say, the challenges facing transnational social movements seeking to address global health problems are complex and numerous, but there have been many significant changes resulting from activists’ efforts. To better understand the...