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Bioethics and Public Health (POPH90270)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 1
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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.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Understand the process of ethical analysis in practice
  • Reflectively identify and challenge moral intuitions
  • Engage with academic literature in an informed and critical way
  • Understand key concepts and approaches in bioethics, particularly public health ethics
  • Be able to use these concepts and approaches to perform an ethical analysis

Generic skills

Students undertaking this subject should acquire:

  • Skills in ethical reasoning and analysis
  • Knowledge of the fundamental debates in health care and public health
  • Attitudes comfortable with moral ambiguity and complexity

Last updated: 29 April 2020