The 'us and them divide

A qualitative study of student experiences of global health education through the lens of 'inclusivity

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4600073
AutoresMariam Sbaiti (0000-0002-9876-1486, Imperial College London), Eliel Cohen (0000-0002-7064-4552, King's College London), Xuan Odofin (0000-0002-1737-0564, New Cross Hospital), Julianne K Viola (0000-0002-1634-505X, Imperial College London), J Lam (0000-0002-7169-4930, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust), Jin Keng Stephen Lam
Ano2025
Volume367
Páginas117759
Data de publicação2025-02-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSocial Science & Medicine (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0277-9536 • E-ISSN: 1873-5347
EditoraElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117759
PMID39904292
OpenAlexW4406834613
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas23

The Global Health (GH) field is characterised by stark inequalities, including a strong over-representation of GH leaders from/trained in high-income countries (HICs). There are no empirical studies exploring how experiences of GH education in HICs could have a role in reproducing, or potentially challenging, these inequalities. We address this by qualitatively analysing student and alum experiences of a one-year GH Bachelor of Science course at a research-intensive UK university (April 2019 and April 2020). Drawing from educational literature, we mobilise the concept of inclusivity to access participants' course experiences, and the concept of 'tensionality' to situate the 'lived' context of the GH classroom. We also situate this context within broader theories of a Western or foreign 'gaze', the concept of 'cognitive' or 'epistemic' (in)justice and field of critical pedagogy. We find that the underpinning inequalities in GH, the ways in which communities that are the "object of study" are re-presented and their frequent absence (non-representation), creates a tension experienced by all students, regardless of their identities. However, the inclusive/non-inclusive dichotomy is not a simple one. GH education can be experienced as simultaneously empowering and alienating. The paper identifies the most promising curricular and pedagogic principles and concludes that GH educators must embrace the underpinning 'tensionality' of GH education. Whilst doing so is insufficient to resolve tensions and inequalities, it can enhance educational by modelling simple action to acknowledge cognitive injustice, gesturing towards pluriversality and engaging practically with the potential of the GH education sector to impact inequalities in the field

Lens (geology · Optics · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Through-the-lens metering · Cultural Competency in Health Care · Gender Studies · Global Health and Surgery · Global Health Workforce Issues · Medicine · Optometry