IB Glopo, the politics of global health, and HIV/AIDS

People living with HIV/AIDS (2009)

HIV/AIDS arguably represents the broadest, most widely-know pandemic of the 20th and 21st century. As an extension of our work on the politics of global public health, we'll watch the documentary and explore the resources from the Frontline documentary, The Age of AIDS. As we watch the documentary, please consider (at least) these questions and analytical tools as you attempt to explain or to understand the geopolitics of HIV/AIDS:

Questions Related to Key Concepts

• Which actors have power and influence in the process? What sort of power and influence do they have? 
• Do what extent (if any) does the principle of sovereignty impact the spread and treatment of HIV/AIDS?
• In what way have governments, international organizations, or other actors engaged in cooperation to address the global challenge of HIV/AIDS?

Levels of Analysis

• How can you employ Levels of Analysis to explain any of the global political issues related to HIV/AIDS at the Individual, State, or System level?

IR Theory

• How can any branch of IR Theory-Realism, Liberalism, or Constructivism-explain any of the global political issues related to HIV/AIDS?
• For example, consider the way in which the association of HIV/AIDS with a particular Caribbean country had an impact on this country's tourism or trade industries. 

Game Theory

• Who are the actors in any of the political situations recounted in the documentary?
• What are these actors' preferences in any of the political situations recounted in the documentary?
• What strategies do these actors employ in pursuit of their preferences or interests?

Finally, you may want to read either of the articles below. Please feel free to create a Google Document and answer the following prompt: How does the author(s) frame the issue (or issues) in terms of a geopolitical challenge or conflict? What solutions does the author(s) provide? To what extent do these seem reasonable? Please feel free to share this document with me through Google Docs; I will provide feedback to anyone who shares their work with me.

• Garrett, L. (2005). The lessons of HIV/AIDS. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/60822/laurie-garrett/the-lessons-of-hivaids 
• Gill, B., Chang, J., & Palmer, S. (2002). China's HIV crisis. Foreign Affairs. Retrieved from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/57816/bates-gill-jennifer-chang-and-sarah-palmer/chinas-hiv-crisis