| Call Number | 17310 |
|---|---|
| Day & Time Location |
M 8:30am-11:20am To be announced |
| Points | 3 |
| Grading Mode | Standard |
| Approvals Required | None |
| Instructor | James K Colgrove |
| Type | LECTURE |
| Method of Instruction | In-Person |
| Course Description | To prevent and control the spread of disease, public health professionals choose from a continuum of possible approaches ranging from persuasive to coercive. At one end of the spectrum, public health seeks to induce voluntary actions or behaviors by appealing to reason and providing information and education. At the other end, it forces people to take actions or refrain from taking actions through the use of laws and regulations. In the middle lies an ethically ambiguous gray area of manipulation, psychological and emotional pressure, incentives, and “nudges.” The difficulty of choosing among these approaches was dramatically apparent during the COVID pandemic. The polarizing debates over issues such as mask mandates and recommendations, travel restrictions, school and business closings, and vaccine mandates illustrated the challenges of using both coercive and persuasive approaches. This course will explore the uses of coercion and persuasion in public health from the standpoints of ethics, policy, and law. We will analyze a broad range of public health practices ranging from less to more forceful. We will address questions such as: When, if ever, is coercion ethically justified? What principles should guide its application? How should social factors such as race, class, and gender influence our evaluation of coercive measures? What alternatives to coercion are available for achieving a given health outcome? What ethical problems may persuasive public health measures raise? In addition to seminar-style discussion, students will participate in a variety of in-class group activities and exercises that will enable them to critically engage with the course materials. |
| Web Site | Vergil |
| Department | Sociomedical Sciences |
| Enrollment | 11 students (28 max) as of 5:08PM Saturday, September 7, 2024 |
| Subject | Sociomedical Sciences |
| Number | P8746 |
| Section | 001 |
| Division | School of Public Health |
| Section key | 20241SOSC8746P001 |