Master of Public Health Curricula: Deconstructing Our Tools and Desire for Mastery
Institution
PSU
Program/Major
Health Promotion
Degree
MPH
Presentation Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-4-2023 1:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2023 1:15 PM
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40238
Keywords
antiracist, racism, decolonizing, imperialism, ethics, epistemology, epidemiology, feminism, knowledge, power, positionality
Abstract
“Awaken, my love!”
- Childish Gambino
I. Awakenings
Our school unites Master of Public Health students through Epidemiology I, a required course providing a foundational curriculum for MPH students interested in research across disciplines. Each term, respective cohorts engage with literature declared to meet CEPH accreditation requirements, as outlined in the joint schools' Strategic Plan.
An explorative analysis of readings assigned in Epidemiology I was conducted, examining keywords and researcher positionality, to the best of our ability. Results suggest a misalignment of epistemologies and methodologies representative of and arguably required for decolonial and antiracist approaches to epidemiology praxis.
II. Reverie
The summary analysis is grounded in critical race theory, data feminisms, the politics of citations, epistemological racism, and the importance of researcher positionality. The seminar course, Decolonizing Public Health Research, offered a curriculum that awoke a desire to re-examine the Eurocentric ways of 'knowing' and 'doing' taught in Epidemiology I.
III. Impatience
I aim to voice concern over the preferential teachings of traditional Euro-American praxis while omitting literature discussing imperial and colonial legacies of public health research.
The relational process of understanding researcher positionality requires time for self-exploration as a means of doing the work internally first. This relational process could unite all Epidemiology I students.
The summary analysis is a call to action as an act of faith in myself and my peers; I believe we'll do the work to understand our power in shaping antiracist research practice if we learn new theories and tools that better align with our SPH's antiracist goals.
Master of Public Health Curricula: Deconstructing Our Tools and Desire for Mastery
“Awaken, my love!”
- Childish Gambino
I. Awakenings
Our school unites Master of Public Health students through Epidemiology I, a required course providing a foundational curriculum for MPH students interested in research across disciplines. Each term, respective cohorts engage with literature declared to meet CEPH accreditation requirements, as outlined in the joint schools' Strategic Plan.
An explorative analysis of readings assigned in Epidemiology I was conducted, examining keywords and researcher positionality, to the best of our ability. Results suggest a misalignment of epistemologies and methodologies representative of and arguably required for decolonial and antiracist approaches to epidemiology praxis.
II. Reverie
The summary analysis is grounded in critical race theory, data feminisms, the politics of citations, epistemological racism, and the importance of researcher positionality. The seminar course, Decolonizing Public Health Research, offered a curriculum that awoke a desire to re-examine the Eurocentric ways of 'knowing' and 'doing' taught in Epidemiology I.
III. Impatience
I aim to voice concern over the preferential teachings of traditional Euro-American praxis while omitting literature discussing imperial and colonial legacies of public health research.
The relational process of understanding researcher positionality requires time for self-exploration as a means of doing the work internally first. This relational process could unite all Epidemiology I students.
The summary analysis is a call to action as an act of faith in myself and my peers; I believe we'll do the work to understand our power in shaping antiracist research practice if we learn new theories and tools that better align with our SPH's antiracist goals.