Why and How Political Science Can Contribute to Public Health? Proposals for Collaborative Research Avenues

Document Type : Perspective

Authors

1 School of Administrative Sciences, TÉLUQ, Université du Québec, Quebec City, QC, Canada

2 Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada

3 Department of Political Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

4 School of Public and International Affairs, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

5 Faculty of Nursing, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada

Abstract

Written by a group of political science researchers, this commentary focuses on the contributions of political science to public health and proposes research avenues to increase those contributions. Despite progress, the links between researchers from these two fields develop only slowly. Divergences between the approach of political science to public policy and the expectations that public health can have about the role of political science, are often seen as an obstacle to collaboration between experts in these two areas. Thus, promising and practical research avenues are proposed along with strategies to strengthen and develop them. Considering the interdisciplinary and intersectoral nature of population health, it is important to create a critical mass of researchers interested in the health of populations and in healthy public policy that can thrive working at the junction of political science and public health.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 23 November 2016
  • Revise Date: 14 March 2017
  • Accept Date: 15 March 2017
  • First Publish Date: 01 September 2017

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