Subjects

Coordinated by Dr Ros McDougall

This subject introduces students to the study of bioethics, with a focus on key issues in public health. It explores theoretical frameworks and major debates in public health ethics, in both the Australian and global contexts.

Topics include: ethical theory, the nature of public health ethics, vaccination, population screening, selective reproduction, and resource allocation.

Students will be introduced to concepts and frameworks for thinking about ethical issues, and learn skills for identifying and analysing ethical problems.

For further information please view the handbook here

Coordinated by Dr Ros McDougall

This subject provides an overview of some of the key ethical issues associated with ageing across the lifespan, with an emphasis on their societal dimensions and implications for policy and professional practice. The skills and knowledge gained by students completing this subject will enhance their ability to engage with the health, social and economic issues of ageing encountered throughout the Masters of Ageing curriculum.

Students will be introduced to bioethical theory and its application in analysis, evaluation and decision making. Martha Nussbaum's account of capabilities for human flourishing will be used to frame the exploration of a number of key issues organized within thematic units of "justice", "autonomy" and "dignity". A final unit will explore ethical issues pertaining to the human quest for "immortality".

Topics covered include diverse historical and cultural perspectives on common ethical issues of ageing; ethical principles for health professionals, care givers and institutions providing for the elderly; age as a criterion for health resource allocation; age-based discrimination and bias in clinical decision-making and employment; international and intergenerational obligations in the context of care giving; and life extension and suspension modalities such as fertility preservation, transplantation and cloning.

For further information please view the handbook here

Coordinated by Dr Ros McDougall

This subject will give students an understanding of the principles underlying social research design. The topics covered will be relevant for students interested in social research in general, and in the health context specifically. This subject will cover the conceptual approaches to research design and process, including writing and dissemination. These sessions will provide both theoretical background and practical advice for doing social research. The subject will also cover ethics in research. Areas to be discussed will include the rationale for formal ethical review of research involving humans and details of the ethics committee process, as well as more general discussion of basic ethical principles in research. The subject will draw on different disciplines to highlight different disciplinary approaches to designing and formulating social research projects.

For further information please view the handbook here

Coordinated by Dr Natalie Jovanovski

Today the complex public health concerns that confront the world require medical and social science researchers to collaborate. Health, illness and Society, incorporating insights from medical anthropology and health sociology will engage with the social, political, economic and historical factors shaping public health. Social science perspectives help to explain social behaviour, how societies change, the role of social institutions in society and the relationship between individuals and social structures. This subject will address; (1) social science understanding of health and illness, such as alcohol misuse, obesity and poverty; (2) social science theories and their relevance in public health, such as structuralism and postmodernism; (3) social science critiques of public health policies, such as neoliberal health care reforms. Students will develop conceptual tools for understanding everyday life and will gain experience applying these tools to explain and find innovative solutions for public health problems.

For further information please view the handbook here

Coordinated by A/Prof Louise Keogh (2018-2020)

Coordinated by A/Prof Louise Keogh (2018)

Coordinated by A/Prof Louise Keogh (2018)

Guest Lecturer - Dr Bridget Pratt

https://mdhs-study.unimelb.edu.au/short-courses/mms-short-courses/communicating-covid-19-preparing-clinicians-to-tackle-challenging-questions/overview