Global Health Governance

How to build a problematic:

Methodological guide : in building his problematic, the student will follow these lines :

• choose an object : what am I working on : a public policy, an institution, representations ? According to this objet, my question, my hypothesis, the theory I am using are different. Avoid too large objects (development policy ; health policy in general). This object has to be very precise. Ex : the implementation of the Global Fund policy in Kenya.

• choose a main question (you can then have sub-questions) : this question is linked to the object and depends on theories chosen. If the object is a public policy, the question will be linked to public policy theories. If the object is an institution, it will be linked to neo-institutionalist theories…Avoid questions like : what is the efficiency of a public policy (too difficult to demonstrate). The question has to be clear : what are the obstacles to the implementation of a specific policy in the framework of a neo-patrimonial state ? (in this case the theories mobilised will be theories on the neo-patrimonial state and theories on the implementation of public policies).

• Hypotheses : those are possible answers to the main question. Again they depend on the theories used. In the case of the questions above : my hypothesis is that neo-patrimonial practices run against the implementation of a specific policy.

• choose the empirical material/approach to analyse it. This has to be coherent with the rest (object/questions/hypothesis). This can be interviews, official documents, reports by NGOs…). Before starting a dissertation MAKE SURE THIS MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE. The approach used to analyse this material is linked to the theories used.

The course means to teach students how to build a problematic (construction of objet/question/approach), how to link a theory to empirical material.

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

A good level of English is required.

A good background in political science is required. The students who do not have that background will need to do a supplementary work.

The course includes a methodology and theoretical part, case studies and the presentation by the students of their problematic (the problematic of their dissertation).

Methodological guide : in building his problematic, the student will follow these lines :

-choose an object : what am I working on : a public policy, an institution, representations ? According to this objet, my question, my hypothesis, the theory I am using are different. Avoid too large objects (development policy ; health policy in general). This object has to be very precise. Ex : the implementation of the Global Fund policy in Kenya.

-choose a main question (you can then have sub-questions) : this question is linked to the object and depends on theories chosen. If the object is a public policy, the question will be linked to public policy theories. If the object is an institution, it will be linked to neo-institutionalist theories…Avoid questions like : what is the efficiency of a public policy (too difficult to demonstrate). The question has to be clear : what are the obstacles to the implementation of a specific policy in the framework of a neo-patrimonial state ? (in this case the theories mobilised will be theories on the neo-patrimonal state and theories on the implementation of public policies).

-Hypotheses : those are possible answers to the main question. Again they depend on the theories used. In the case of the questions above : my hypothesis is that neo-patrimonial practices run against the implementation of a specific policy.

-choose the empirical material/approach to analyse it. This has to be coherent with the rest (object/questions/hypothesis). This can be interviews, official documents, reports by NGOs…). Before starting a dissertation MAKE SURE THIS MATERIAL IS AVAILABLE. The approach used to analyse this mateial is linked to the theories used.

Références, bibliographie et lectures recommandées

Podcasts and bibliography are on the UV.

Support(s) de cours

• Syllabus
• Université virtuelle
• Podcast

Informations complémentaires

the following rules apply for this course: 
-students have to be on time for the course (doors close ten minutes past the beginning of the course)
-masks are mandatory
-time to wait for an answer to an e-mail: 1 to 7 days. If the answer is on this webpage, no answer will be given.
-if during the contestation of a mark, false informations are circulated which may ternish the reputation of the course and the professor, legal actions will be taken.
 

Contacts

veronique.dimier@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

• Travail personnel
• Présentation orale

Travail personnel

Présentation orale

The exam will be in two parts :
-the summary and critical analysis (10 pages of 34 lines each), on a book (the list of these books will be given the first day of the course): 25% of the mark. Students who have to choose a book the first day of course will be imposed a book. This summary has to be posted on the UV and put in a paper version in a box in front of my door (IEE, 35 av F. Roosevelt for the 15th of November). Those students who have not done that work will be imposed an important supplementary work (besides the summary).
-A dissertation of 8 pages (bibliography non included on the following subject). For the 29th of January or 25th of August), to be posted on the UV and in paper version in a box in front of my door (IEE, 35 av F. Roosevelt). 50% of the mark.
-An oral presentation of the same work during the last two weeks of course (end November, beginning of December) : 25% of the mark.

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

-the dissertation is coherent. It includes a clear theory of political science which is used to determine questions and hypotheses: more than 10 out of 20
-the dissertation includes a political science theory but which is not linked to the rest of the demonstration : 8 to 10
-the dissertation does not include any theory in political science :  7
-the dissertation is a summary of existing articles/book or is not correctly written : 6
-the dissertation does not deal with the subject given: 2 

Langue(s) d'évaluation

• anglais