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PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

The course deals with Western, African and Asian philosophical thoughts which have shaped and have the potential to shape social science research and practice. It traces the development of various philosophical points of view about knowledge, sources of knowledge and schools of thought, knowledge generation and research. Among the issues to be discussed are: nature of science; theory of science; the scientific enterprise; theories of knowledge, ontology (the being of things) and methodology (ways of doing things); worldviews or cosmology and sources of knowledge. Focus will be placed on selected philosophers in Western thought such as St. Augustine, Plato, John S. Mill, John Locke, Hume, Kant, Berkley; and on Wiredu, Gyekye and Confucius. Schools of thought which have influenced social science research: e.g. positivism, phenomenology, hermeneutics, existentialism, feminist epistemology, epicurean thought, Marxist thought (socialism), cosmological and ontological arguments, justice; selected Eastern (Indo-Chinese) thought; and Africa cosmology of life; and ethics in research will be discussed.  Emphasis will be on implications of these thoughts for knowledge generation and for research.

Objectives: The objectives of this course are to:

  • Build the capacity of students to understand philosophical thoughts which have shaped social science research and practice;
  • Equip students with critical thinking and analytical skills in social science research; and
  • Develop the reasoning skills of students towards social science research.

 Mode of Delivery: The course will be delivered through assigned readings, individual and group assignments and presentations in class.

Course Code: 
POH 901
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 900
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

THESIS     

                                                                            

Students will present a thesis in their areas of research interest. The conditions as set out in the Academic Policies and Regulations for Graduate Studies apply.

Course Code: 
POH 899  
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

Fieldwork

This course involves fieldwork and presentation of results based on a topic chosen by the students. The students are assessed both on their presentations in class and the report/assignment submitted.

Course Code: 
POH 897
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

ADVANCED EPIDEMIOLOGY

The course builds on POH 807S (Social Epidemiology). The course focuses on the philosophical and the application of theoretical issues in epidemiology, application of knowledge in epidemiology as well as critical appraisal of scientific literature from a multidisciplinary perspective. Other areas will include outbreak investigation, making use of epidemiological data to draw appropriate conclusions, and social sciences methodology to understand background and proximal factors.

 Objective: The objectives of the course are to:

  • Build the capacity of students in philosophical and theoretical perspectives in epidemiology
  • Equip students with the knowledge and skills to analyze data in epidemiology.

 Mode of Delivery: The course is delivered through lectures, case studies analyses, individual and group presentations.

Course Code: 
POH 816S
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

  GLOBAL HEALTH  

The course focuses on strategies for health improvement, reduction of health disparities as well as protection against global threats that cut across national boundaries. Issues to discuss will include global health and poverty, economic development, peace and security, communicable and non-communicable diseases, social and spatial dimensions of health and their impact on disparities in the burden of diseases, the impact of climate change on health, and risk factors.

 Objective: The aim of the course is to develop the capacity of students to:

  •  Understand concepts and perspectives on global health; and
  • Analyze social and spatial dimensions of health and their impact on disparities in the burden of diseases.

Mode of Delivery: The course is delivered through lectures, case studies analyses, individual and group presentations.

Course Code: 
POH 815S
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

URBAN HEALTH   

The course deals with public health issues associated with growth of urban population in developing countries as well as the emerging middle class populations. Emphasis will be on urban health problems of developing countries; health of slum areas, affluent areas, migrants/refugees, children, the aged, and populations at high risk (e.g. CSW, MSM, IDU). Changes in urban physical and social environment and their consequences for lifestyle risks and health, design and implementation of coordinated and cost-effective health care system will be examined. 

 Objective: The objectives of the course are to:

  • Build the capacity of students to appreciate concepts and theoretical perspectives on urban health
  • Appraise policies and programmes on urban health.

 Mode of Delivery: The course is delivered through lectures, case studies analyses, individual and group presentations.

Course Code: 
POH 814S
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

MIGRATION AND HEALTH  

This course covers some concepts and theoretical perspectives on the relationships between migration and health in both the past and contemporary era. It examines both communicable and non-communicable health issues among both voluntary and involuntary migrants, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa but some examples will be drawn from developed countries as well to expose students to the global context. The implications of migrants’ health to both places of origin and destination will be examined. It also situates migration and health within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. Relevant case studies will be emphasized on to enhance students’ understanding of the synergies between migration and health.

Objective: The course will build the capacity of students to:

  • Understand the relationships between migration and health in both the past and contemporary; and
  • Analyse the implications of migrants’ health to the socio-economic development of both places of origin and destination.

Mode of Delivery: The mode of delivery will be lectures, individual and group presentations.

Course Code: 
POH 813S
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

CONTEMPORARY HEALTH ISSUES IN AFRICA

The course examines contemporary issues in current challenges in health, aspects of health transition in the context of the emergence of new and the re-emergence of old infections; issues of endemicity and the spread of diseases; emergence of diseases associated with life styles; management of health; financing of health care; challenges of health for an ageing population; the roles of national and multinational institutions (e.g. World Health Organization (WHO)) and international NGOs in health.

Objective: The aim of the course is to develop the capacity of students to:

  • Analyse contemporary  health issues in both Ghana and Africa
  • Interpret and discuss population and health issues in both Ghana and Africa

Mode of Delivery:This course is delivered through lectures, presentations and group discussions.

Course Code: 
POH 812S
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

 STATISTICS IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

                      

The course involves intermediate statistical techniques and their application to social science issues. Topics to be discussed include nature and meaning of statistics, measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, time series, normal distribution, sampling techniques, testing of hypothesis, correlation and regression analysis. Students will be introduced to packages such as SPSS and STATA.

 Objective: The objectives of the course are to equip students to:

  • Develop analytical skills in social science research
  • Analyse and interpret statistical data in social sciences.

Mode of delivery:The course will be delivered through lectures, practical exercises and presentations.

Course Code: 
POH 811S
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

RESEARCH METHODS 

This course deals with issues of the nature and scope of social science research (issues of epistemology, ontology and methodology). Among the topics to be covered are perspectives in social science research, concept and sources of knowledge, concept of research problem, types of research, philosophies informing quantitative and qualitative data collection, quantitative and qualitative techniques and in social science research, issues of validity, reliability, representativeness in social science research, questionnaire drawing, developing an interview guide, and ethical issues in social science research

Objectives: The objectives of the course are to:

  • Build the capacity of students in social science research methodology
  • Develop the skills of students to undertake quantitative and qualitative research.

Mode of Delivery : The teaching will be conducted through lectures, fieldwork, group and individual presentations.

Course Code: 
POH 810S
No. of Credits: 
3
Level: 
Level 800
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Population and Health

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