Understanding Human-Centered Design in the Context of Global Health and Development

Ákos GOSZTONYI

Master's thesis

Abstract:

In this inquiry I problematize the emerging trend of adopting human-centered design (HCD) approaches in development projects and especially in projects related to global health. I locate my study in post-structuralist literature and provide a reading of the intertwined discourse of global health and development. I deploy the concepts of biopolitics, psychopolitics, episteme and biomedicalization to enable critical interpretations of HCD and the (re)constructions and (re)negotiations of the human in the center, after establishing the method of ensembling the corpus of my analysis. I pose the questions of who and what the human is in the center and what political implications may arise depending on its discoursive formations. I also highlight linkages between HCD and two development theories to help "development specialists" position themselves in relation to HCD. The thesis fills in the gap in the literature on HCD in terms of critically engaging with "scientific" representations of/in HCD projects through Foucauldian critical discourse analysis. The relevance of my study lies in the timeliness of the trend of applying HCD in development and global health, and in the rather novel application of discourse analysis. The interpretations I provide are opening the door for further analyses.

Abstract:

In this inquiry I problematize the emerging trend of adopting human-centered design (HCD) approaches in development projects and especially in projects related to global health. I locate my study in post-structuralist literature and provide a reading of the intertwined discourse of global health and development. I deploy the concepts of biopolitics, psychopolitics, episteme and biomedicalization to enable critical interpretations of HCD and the (re)constructions and (re)negotiations of the human in the center, after establishing the method of ensembling the corpus of my analysis. I pose the questions of who and what the human is in the center and what political implications may arise depending on its discoursive formations. I also highlight linkages between HCD and two development theories to help "development specialists" position themselves in relation to HCD. The thesis fills in the gap in the literature on HCD in terms of critically engaging with "scientific" representations of/in HCD projects through Foucauldian critical discourse analysis. The relevance of my study lies in the timeliness of the trend of applying HCD in development and global health, and in the rather novel application of discourse analysis. The interpretations I provide are opening the door for further analyses.

Keywords

human-centered design, global health, discourse analysis, psychopolitcs, biomedicalization, post-development

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 31. 5. 2019

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: Mgr. Lenka Dušková, PhD.

Palacký University Olomouc

Faculty of Science

Master programme / field:
Geography / International Development Studies