Online Lecture Series ‘An Introduction to Inequalities in Health using Historical Causes of Death’
From October onwards we are organizing a Lecture series that will provide a introduction to studying inequalities in health using a long-term historical perspective and causes-of-death sources and data.
The first module of the online lecture series on ‘Theory’ is scheduled for Autumn 2024 and is targeted at students and scholars at all levels interested in exploring major debates and perspectives related to health inequalities from a historical point of view. Participants will gain detailed knowledge from six expertly-led lectures on various key topics. The epidemiological transition lecture will give general knowledge on the change in disease prevalence and mortality statistics across different periods; the inequalities in health session is for understanding the socioeconomic and demographic factors affecting these inequities; and the life course determinants of mortality, exploring the impact of various phases of life on health outcomes. Besides, the series will cover intergenerational transmission in health and related behaviors, drawing on how health and behavioral patterns are passed down through generations. Finally, the series covers, with two separate lectures, the views from both medical and public health perspectives and thus provides a comprehensive understanding of how historical causes have influenced current inequities in health.
The lecture series is open to everyone, but PhD students who attend all six sessions and present a reflection on a specific article from the lecture series during a final meeting will be entitled to earn 1 ECTS (European Credits) and receive an official certificate. As co-organizer, the Research School for Economic and Social History N.W. Posthumus Institute at Utrecht University will issue these official certificates to participants who have successfully participated. Please register here if you would like to follow the lecture series and receive the certificate with 1 ECTS. The registration for each module closes a week before the lecture series start.
Please note that only Module 1 ‘Theory’ is specified below. Module 2 will address sources and databases (expected February 2025 – June 2025). Module 3 will address methods and analyses (expected September 2025 – June 2026). Depending on the feedback from participants, modules are repeated or new modules are added to the online lecture series. For each module it will be possible to earn 1 ECTS. If you have any questions, please contact the leadership of WG4.
General Learning objectives
Upon completion of the online modules, students are able to:
Understand how different disciplines approach the study of health inequalities;
Outline some of the major debates in the study of health inequalities;
Explain and reflect upon important determinants of inequality in health and how they relate to broader processes of change in the period 1800-2024;
Reflect on one specific article dealing with inequality in health and present it to an interdisciplinary group of scholars/peers.