Dear HEALers:
It was a pleasure to engage in such rich conversations this past weekend. The Saturdayseminar on "issues of income security and employment in Canada" was particularly stimulating. I appreciated very much the preparations undertaken by Anna, Nick, Raman and Anne-Marie in delivering this seminar and in prompting class discussion. Certainly the overriding question is about how our consideration of these social determinants of health can become the basis of personal initiatives and local actions.
I've had a query about the write-up of these class presentations and seminars. So let me just reiterate from the Sept 11th email that those who have selected the particular part of the Raphael text to address submit individually (and via email to me) a write-up that covers the following:
a. A one-page synopsis of the part of the Raphael text you and your group members are addressing.
In this synopsis, mention the key ideas, issues and challenges. Focus on those ideas, issues and challenges that stand out for you.
b. Some examples or illustrations from your work and wider life of the above. Indicate how you connect personally and professionally with the "social determinants" being discussed. Such connections should comprise no more than a second page.
c. And, in no more than a page, indicate possible courses of action to help turn the "social determinants of health" into "affordances" of greater well-being and enhanced quality of life for those adversely affected by "income insecurity and unemployment," "educational access," "food insecurity and inadequate housing," and "social exclusion" especially as a function of systemic colonialism.
The query about this write-up is because I wrote "detailed critique" in the course outline. A three-page write-up does not allow space for too much detail, which is all there in the Raphael text anyway, however it does provide space for you to detail your own interest in the social determinants being addressed and, specifically, how you connect to, and take from, the readings what is most pertinent to your personal and professional lives. Reference any sources, i.e. websites and research (beyond those in the Raphael text) to which you refer in the presentation/seminar or the write-up. And send me the write-up in the week subsequent to the presentation.
Now, let me say a few things about the development of the major paper. I've received already some of the drafts of the introductory, first-person pieces which I'll endeavor to respond to as soon as I can. Since we have a bit of time before we meet next on October 28/29, it's important that we move the development of the major paper along and certainly to the point where you have a reasonably good sense of your topic and the information sources that are most helpful to you. The purpose of going to the library and online sources, and to other resources available to you personally and professionally, is "to flesh out the issue or question" (as stated in the course outline). It's not intended for you to get lost in some question or issue that is no longer your own, nor is this wider research intended to make your question or issue seem abstract in a way that you lose touch with it. The first-person narrative, and further narratives of your own or from others that you care to add in building the paper, should serve to keep the inquiry 'real.'
For now, send me what you have and we'll go from there.
The third thing to mention is your blog and its use in documenting your "Active living: practices and reflections." In the course outline (once again, written before I met most of you), I wrote: "Students will engage in a self-chosen practice and keep a journal of their experiences over the semester. The reflection will address purposes, applications, enabling conditions, life-course factors and social determinants, as well as provide a rich description of the practice itself in terms of personal commitment to it." Now interpret this instruction to allow for "a self-chosen practice" or a set of practices or, if you prefer, activities, pursuits, and pastimes that are enjoyable, sustaining and meaningful to you. We'll discuss further what constitutes a "practice" and pursue the notion of "practices of self-care" which we started to address (with Randy Persad) on the Saturday afternoon and which we will continue to delve into in terms of the functions, forms, feelings and flows of such "practices of self-care." For some of you, this exploration may well be closely coupled with the focus of your major paper. But whatever your practice/s or pastimes of "active living," see how you can portray something of their "purposes, applications, enabling conditions, life-course factors and social determinants, as well as provide a rich description of the practice itself (or practices and activities themselves) in terms of personal commitment."
The blog prompt posed last Saturday stated: "Having reflected on what heath means to you, turn your attention to and explore your personal definition/description of self-care." That's a good way into this portrayal of your practice/s of "active living." See this and subsequent blog posts serving the purposes of a journal, but with the important difference of posting on your blog only information which you are comfortable to share. If ultimately you feel limited in using the blog as the vehicle of your reflections on "active living," then the default for this particular course assignment is to provide the "active living reflection" at the end of the semester and as an emailed document. But first, let's see how much we can use blog posts to at least express our various "active living" interests and pursuits. Have a look at the blog posts on 'self-care' practices and pursuits that Chelsea, Ann-Marie, Elizabeth, Naseem, Leah, Neva and Nick have put up already. These are excellent inspirations.
Well, that's more than enough information for the moment. I will send you another email in anticipation of our next class times on October 28 and 29, and with PDFs of the readings. Keep in mind the 'vitality' pieces from last time which we did not have time to discuss. The one, in particular, on "promoting vitality" contains ideas that are important for understanding how health has been defined in often very restrictive ways. But more on all this later. For the moment, let's press ahead with the blogs, the major assignment, and your group preparations for the class presentations and seminars.
Hope you are all getting a chance to enjoy the sunshine.
Cheers,
Stephen.
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