Reimagining Study Abroad as a Curricular Tool for Decolonizing Global Health
Start Date
8-17-2022 12:00 AM
Description
There is a growing consensus that decolonizing global health is an essential process for promoting social justice, achieving health equity, and addressing structural violence as a determinant of health. Curricular design for applied practice experiences in global settings can either extend colonialist practice or become an innovative tool for bringing about changes promoted by the movement to decolonize global health. Based on a scoping literature review, select articles were examined for relevance to curricular innovations and designs involving applied practice experiences in global settings. Several important themes were identified involving reflection, action, and planning that can be used to inform the curricular design and implementation of global applied practice experiences. To contribute to the decolonization of global health, applied practical experiences should be designed to be of primary benefit to local communities and populations; be planned and co-designed with local partners; involve monetary payment to local partners for services rendered; provide for extensive collaboration and interaction with local practitioners and students, and lead to shared credit with local partners for all outcomes achieved. Best practices for short-term study abroad programs, graduate-level applied practice experiences, and the aims of decolonizing global health can and should be carefully aligned.
Reimagining Study Abroad as a Curricular Tool for Decolonizing Global Health
There is a growing consensus that decolonizing global health is an essential process for promoting social justice, achieving health equity, and addressing structural violence as a determinant of health. Curricular design for applied practice experiences in global settings can either extend colonialist practice or become an innovative tool for bringing about changes promoted by the movement to decolonize global health. Based on a scoping literature review, select articles were examined for relevance to curricular innovations and designs involving applied practice experiences in global settings. Several important themes were identified involving reflection, action, and planning that can be used to inform the curricular design and implementation of global applied practice experiences. To contribute to the decolonization of global health, applied practical experiences should be designed to be of primary benefit to local communities and populations; be planned and co-designed with local partners; involve monetary payment to local partners for services rendered; provide for extensive collaboration and interaction with local practitioners and students, and lead to shared credit with local partners for all outcomes achieved. Best practices for short-term study abroad programs, graduate-level applied practice experiences, and the aims of decolonizing global health can and should be carefully aligned.