Public health at a crossroads: assessing teaching on economic globalization as a social determinant of health

Abstract

This article examines how public health faculty prepare students to respond to economic globalization, and more broadly considers the response of public health academics to structural challenges that fall within the realm of global economics, politics, and policy. At this moment, public health is at a crossroads of formalizing its education through graduate competencies and certifications. This research undertook in-depth interviews with public health faculty from across the US to explore how students are prepared to critically consider root causes and respond to political and economic trends shaping health. These interviews reveal a general dearth of attention to globalization, as well as several factors shaping public health academic knowledge production. These include the deep influence and shortcomings of funding resources; a general lack of critical perspective in public health; and both methodological and faculty competence deficiencies. Interviewees also discuss political influences and conflicting student demands, as well the strength of public health as an interdisciplinary profession and potential opportunities for improving public health's responsiveness. Interestingly, while there was near unanimity regarding public health's role and obligation to advocate for change on these issues, there was also uncertainty about how to appropriately model and teach advocacy skills, and tension over public health's role in politics and policy. While public health has a rich history of addressing structural and political factors shaping health, this research reveals an ongoing need to define public health's role in contemporary politics and policy, and in advocating for change at the global policy level.