The influence of selected factors on the knowledge, perceptions, and academic practices of faculty of schools of public health in China about the increasing sex ratio as a priority social issue: Implications for professional education

Faculty of schools of public health are in a position to teach students, conduct research on priority social issues, and collaborate with official and non-official personnel involved in policy determinations, permitting the faculty to share their opinions and provide advice based on that research. Given the impact of social issues on public health, there is a need to determine what is known and what is being done by faculty about sensitive social issues such as the increasing sex ratio in China.;The research questions in this study examined how factors (individual, cultural, organizational, and socio-political) influence the knowledge, perceptions, and academic practices of faculty from schools of public health in China about the increasing sex ratio, supporting or hindering a curriculum change. A method was developed, based on Kurt Lewin's Force Field Theory of Social Change, to address the research questions.;It was revealed that the faculty were aware of the increasing sex ratio, and they believed that their school of public health should address the issue. However, very little was being done in the Chinese schools of public health to address the increasing sex ratio issue.;In order to begin the change process of moving faculty from belief to action, it was found that individual factors would be examined with regard to why faculty are not teaching anything about the increasing sex ratio problem; socio-political factors would be examined with regard to why faculty are not collaborating/networking/ or advising any part of the Chinese government or a non-governmental agency regarding the increasing sex ratio; and organizational factors would be examined with regard to why faculty are not aware of activities going on in their schools of public health regarding the increasing sex ratio.;The Lewin based method used in this study could be used in future planning to assess proposed curriculum changes, as well as to identify factors necessary to unfreeze educational institutions so that they can move in a direction of positive change.