Imperial College London
Introduction to Participatory Approaches in Public Health
Imperial College London

Introduction to Participatory Approaches in Public Health

This course is part of Participatory Approaches in Public Health Specialization

Taught in English

Some content may not be translated

Helen Ward

Instructor: Helen Ward

1,780 already enrolled

Included with Coursera Plus

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

4.4

(10 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

18 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Prepare for a degree

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

1 quiz

Course

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals

4.4

(10 reviews)

Beginner level

Recommended experience

18 hours (approximately)
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Prepare for a degree

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Placeholder

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Participatory Approaches in Public Health Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate
Placeholder
Placeholder

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

Placeholder

There are 4 modules in this course

This week you will be introduced to participatory approaches to public health. What are they? Where do they come from? And why are they essential to solving contemporary public health challenges? Firstly, you will meet the team and get an idea of how this course is structured. We also want you to share your own experiences with other learners - in this way, you'll identify what you already know about participatory approaches, share useful insights and make connections with one another. In Lesson 1 you'll learn the key principles and characteristics of a participatory approach and learn about the history of participation in HIV social movements. In Lesson 2, you'll focus on the case study of Ebola, to explore how participatory approaches can be used in pandemics. Take note - we'll be returning to this discussion in Week 4 to see what lessons from Ebola can be applied to COVID-19.

What's included

6 videos8 readings3 discussion prompts3 plugins

This week will help you to understand the social and cultural context of public health. In Lesson 1, you will think about how to understand culture and society and their relationship with health, drawing upon readings from anthropology and sociology. You will then apply that thinking to the importance of culture for participatory public health. You will read and analyse studies in Malaysia and London, before hearing an interview with a researcher about how culture affects participation in health research Singapore. In Lesson 2, you will explore some of these concepts further through an in-depth case study of participatory projects with sex workers.

What's included

3 videos4 readings1 quiz1 discussion prompt1 plugin

Welcome to Week 3. In Lesson 1, you will reflect further on what it means to create knowledge in a participatory way. You will learn about different epistemological approaches to knowledge creation, before doing an exercise exploring your own positionality in the social field. In Lesson 2, you will study the case of Participatory Action Research (PAR), as a way of introducing you to the concepts of action and power. You will watch a video introducing you to PAR, before undertaking readings and activities to explore these in more depth. This will help you to think about the forms of action you could take to help improve the health and well-being of the communities you work with.

What's included

2 videos5 readings1 discussion prompt1 plugin

In Week 4, you will take a step back and place participation in context. In Lesson 1, you will be introduced to some ways of thinking about and evaluating participation, including some of the popular typologies of participation. You will start to consider if participatory approaches are always a good thing, and some of the dangers participation might pose. In Lesson 2, you will explore how participatory approaches could be used to tackle the COVID-19 global pandemic.

What's included

4 videos5 readings1 peer review2 discussion prompts

Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.7 (9 ratings)
Helen Ward
Imperial College London
9 Courses158,727 learners

Offered by

Recommended if you're interested in Public Health

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

New to Public Health? Start here.

Placeholder

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions