Course Syllabus

Public Health and Migration 

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Semester & Location:

Spring 2018 - DIS Stockholm

Type & Credits:

Core Course - 3 credits

Core Course Study Tours:

Sweden and Geneva

Major Disciplines:

Public Health, Sociology

Faculty Member:

Rachel Irwin

Program Director:

Lisbeth Borbye

Time & Place:

Mondays and Thursdays, 14:50-16:10 (with occasional sessions 16:25-17:45), 1D-508

Faculty

Public-Health-Rachel-Irwin.jpg Rachel Irwin
PhD. Social Anthropology (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, 2014). MSc. International Health Policy (London School of Economics and Political Science, 2008). Postdoctoral research fellow in medical humanities at Lund University (2016-present). Researcher in global health at Karolinska Institutet (2014-2016) Researcher in health, development and security at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) (2011-2016). Research assistant in health policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2007-2011). With DIS since 2016.

 

Course Description

Migrants, including refugees, asylum-seekers and economic migrants, are those who voluntarily or involuntarily move to new locations, such as Sweden. Upon arrival, some may be suffering from tuberculosis, HIV or other diseases rarely occurring in Sweden, or – particularly in the case of forced migration – from trauma and other mental illness. This course provides insights into why people migrate, and addresses the health status and care needs as well as the legal, financial and cultural barriers to accessing treatment faced by the migrants. Through contemporary case studies, students will analyze the dynamics between migrant health needs and the existing health care structure.

 

Expected Learning Outcomes

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Describe current trends and patterns in migration
  • Identify key health challenges facing migrants
  • Evaluate health system responses to migration in Sweden and other European countries
  • Analyze the migrant experience from a gender perspective
  • Design public health interventions for migrants

 

Teaching Methods

Different teaching formats will be used. The course will be a mix of interactive lectures, class discussions, group work, student presentations and peer feedback. A major part of the course will be based on debating issues, and students are expected to engage actively in oral presentations, discussions, group work and exercises.

 

Evaluation and Grading

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class all of the assigned work must be completed. Late assignments will be accepted, but the grade for the paper will be reduced. The factors influencing the final grade and the proportional importance of each factor is shown below:

Component Weight
Participation 15%
Core course week paper 15%
Study tour paper 20%
Group projects 50%

 

Participation

Participation and engagement is measured in regards to both attendance and academic activity level during class and study tours. 

 

Core course week paper

Students will write a 1000-word reflection on their experiences during the Core course week. Further details on the assignment will be given at the beginning of the term.   

Study tour paper

Students will write a 1500-word essay, analyzing and critiquing the role of different international organizations in addressing migration. Further details on the assignment will be given at the beginning of the term. 

Group project - humanitarian crises

In groups of 3-5, students will investigate the causes of, solutions to, and health implications of humanitarian crises.  This project will help students prepare for their Long Study tour to Geneva. Further details on the assignment will be given at the beginning of the term. 

Group project - health interventions

In groups of 3-5, students will design a public health intervention targeted towards migrants. Working with others is an important element of preparation for the labor market, where group work is the rule rather than the exception, and this group project will contribute to the development of collaborative skills. Further details on the assignment will be given at the beginning of the term. 

 

Field Studies

Two field studies are being planned on the 17th of January and the 21st of February.  The first (1) is to the "Stories from Syria" exhibit Mediterranean Museum (Medelhavsmuseet). The second is (2) a refugee simulation with the Swedish Red Cross (2) The second visit is the Multicultural Centre in Stockholm. The field visit sites are subject to change. Further information regarding the visits will be provided as the dates approach.

Core Course Week and Study Tours

Core Course week and study tours are an integral part of the core course.  We take the classroom on the road and see how theory presented in the classroom is translated into practice in the field. You will travel with your classmates and DIS faculty/staff on two study tours; a short study tour during Core Course Week and a long study tour Geneva.

Expectations for study tours

  • Participate in all activities
  • Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to achieving the learning objectives
  • Respect the destination, the speakers, DIS staff, and your fellow classmates
  • Represent yourself, your home university and DIS in a positive light

While on a program study tour DIS will provide hostel/hotel accommodation, transportation to/from the destination(s), approx. 2 meals per day and entrances, guides, and visits relevant to your area of study or the destination. You will receive a more detailed itinerary prior to departure.

Travel policies: You are required to travel with your group to the destination. If you wish to deviate from the group travel plans on the way back, you need approval from the assistant program director and the study tours office.   

 

Core course week, including short study tour

During the Core course week, will travel to Gothenburg to visit the House of Emigrants museum, to meet with different local government and non-governmental organizations working with newly arrived immigrants to Sweden, as well as with researchers at Gothenburg University. Students will then have two days in Stockholm during which they will start on their humanitarian crises group projects.  The core course week activities are subject to change.

Long study tour to Geneva

Students will travel to Geneva, Switzerland to examine migration and health from a diplomatic and global perspective. In Geneva, students will have the opportunity to discuss these challenges with key experts in several international organizations. Potential visits include the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters, the International Organization for Migration, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Human Rights Council and the International Committee of the Red Cross. The sites are subject to change.

 

Academic Excellence Award

Each semester one student from the Public Health program may be recognized with an Award of Academic Excellence. It is reserved for an outstanding student who has distinguished her- or himself through diligence, commitment, academic performance, and who contributes to a good, collaborative learning environment in class.

Expectations of Students & Code of Conduct

  • Laptops may be used for note‐taking, fact‐checking, or assignment in the classroom, but only when indicated by the instructor. At all other times laptops and electronic devices should be put away during class time.
  • Reading must be done prior to the class session; a huge part of the class is dependent on discussions in class.
  • Students need to be present and participating to receive full credit. The final grade will be affected by unexcused absences and lack of participation. Remember to be in class on time!
  • Classroom etiquette includes being respectful of other opinions, listening to others and entering a dialogue in a constructive manner.
  • Students are expected to ask relevant questions in regards to the material covered.

 

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

 DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org

 

DIS Contacts

Mark Peters, Academic Coordinator, mpe@disstockholm.se
Bettina Hornbøll, Science & Health Assistant Program Director, bho@dis.dk
Lisbeth Borbye, Science & Health Program Director, lbo@dis.dk

 

Required Readings

Individual peer-reviewed scientific articles and books will be assigned for individual lectures.

 

Books and reports

International Migration, Health and Human Rights (2013) Report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR)

 

Migration and health in the European Union (2011) Book edited by Bernd Rechel, Philipa Mladovsky, Walter Devillé, Barbara Rijks, Roumyana Petrova-Benedict, Martin McKee and published by the WHO Office for Europe.

 

Situation report: Trafficking in human beings in the EU. (2016) Report by Europol. 

 

Geneva and the call of internationalism: a history. (2011) Book by Joëlle Kuntz. Editions Zoé

 

Articles

Agyemang, C. (2016) Lonely and bored stiff: challenging phase for ethnic minority and migrant health in Europe.
Eur J Public Health. 26: 898-899


Behtoui, A. and Olsson, E. (2014) The Performance of Early Age Migrants in Education and the Labour Market: a Comparison of Bosnia Herzegovinians, Chileans and Somalis in Sweden, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. 40(5):778-795

Brochmann, G. and Hagelund, A. (2011) Migrants in the Scandinavian Welfare State: a social policy problem. Nordic Journal of Migration Research. 1(1): 13-024

Dellenborg, et al. (2012) Transcultural Encounters in a Medical Ward in Sweden: Experiences of Health Care Practitioners. Journal of Transcultural Nursing 23(4) 342–350


Doctors of the World (2015).  Legal Report – Access to Health Care. Médecins du Monde/Doctors of the World

Gilliver et al. (2014) Recent research on the mental health of immigrants to Sweden: a literature review. European Journal of Public Health.  24(Suppl 1):72-79

Grosser, A., et al. (2016) Inclusion of migrants and ethnic minorities in European birth cohort studies—a scoping review. Eur J Public Health. 26: 984-991

Hjern, A. (2012) Migration and public health. Health in Sweden: The National Public Health Report 2012. Chapter 13. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 40(Suppl 9): 255–267

Kalengayi, F.K.N. et al (2015) Perspectives and experiences of new migrants on screening in Sweden. BMC Health Services Research. 

Kumagai, Jillian (2016) Sweden: uncensored. The Atlantic. 13 April 2016.

Lavenex, S. (2016) Multilevelling EU external governance: the role of international organizations in the diffusion of EU migration policies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 42:4, 554-570.

Pacheco, L.L., Jonzon, R., Hurtig, A.K. (2016) Health Assessment and the Right to Health in Sweden: Asylum Seekers’ Perspectives. PLoS One. 

Pittaway, et al. (2010) ‘Stop stealing our stories’: The Ethics of Research with Vulnerable Groups. Journal of Human Rights Practice 2(2):229-251

Reid, Sue (2016) How Europe's most liberal nation gagged its own people on migration attacks: The Swedish conspiracy to hide the truth about the refugee influx.  The Daily Mail. 5 March 2016.

[NOTE: Some students may find this article offensive]

Smith, A.L. (2016) Sweden struggles to stop radicalization at home.  Al Jazeera. 23 feb 2016.              

Smith, J. (2016).  Europe is failing to help a generation of traumatised children. The Guardian. 27 December 2016

Traub, J. (2016). The death of the most generous nation on earth.  Foreign Policy. 10 February 2016.

Unseem, R. and Downie, R.D. (1976)  Third-Culture Kids. Today's Education 65 (3):103-5

Visser, M.A. and El Fakiri, F. (2016) The prevalence and impact of risk factors for ethnic differences in loneliness Eur J Public Health. 26: 977-983


Course Summary:

Date Details Due