Health From a Social Perspective Essay

In 1946 the World Health Organisation (WHO) defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. This definition integrates the main concepts of health and identifies that health can be viewed differently by individuals and groups (Bowden, 2006). Health and well-being are the result of a combination of physical, social, intellectual and emotional factors (Dunkley, 2000a).

As stated by the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘health’ is defined as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO, 1948). The health and wellbeing of individuals is generally determined by their circumstances and environment, a phenomenon referred to as the social determinants of health. WHO describes the social determinants of health as:

Your GP can assess whether you have incontinence, decide which type of incontinence you have, give general advice on controlling symptoms of incontinence, provide information on pelvic floor exercises and bladder retraining, and give treatment for incontinence with prescribed medicines. If lifestyle changes and treatments don't solve the problem, your GP can refer you to a continence adviser or specialist.

Naidoo and Wills(2001, p.47) “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ - WHO (1946).” This definition falls into a holistic way of defining health, which believes that there are more areas to look at when thinking of health than just simply the absence of a disease. It considers the cause of why someone is ill and not just simply about ’fixing it’.

But over the past few decades, the definititon and concept of health has evolved to encompass more elements than just the physical well-being of a person. This is partly attributed to various researches and studies that have taken place around the world in the last 60 years. Already in 1948, the World Health Organization declared that health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (World Health Organisation, 2011)

Health is a concept that relates to and describes a person's state of being. It is highly subjective as good health means different things to different people, and its meaning varies according to individual and community expectations and contexts. In this paper the definition of health, care and wellbeing is looked from an Aboriginal perspective taking into account the history of Aboriginal health and contemporary issues in health and wellbeing of Aboriginal communities.

The definition of health is fluid, ever changing and carries different meanings across individuals, societies and cultures. Although it is difficult

Social determinants of health encompasses ethnicity, gender and social class. It is seen as the essential

Those with higher SES have the necessary resources, that would help them cope better with stressors and strain as opposed to those with lower SES. This is another example of how social inequality, can lead to negative or poor health outcome. The problem is that why haven’t this issue of social determinant of health been addressed through public policy in Canada. Some of the barriers to addressing social determinants of health, through public policy in Canada using the political economy approach includes; Canada identification as a liberal welfare state, and the relative power and influence of the business sectors, labour, and civil society in shaping SDOH(Raphael, D., 2010, pg.17). In a liberal welfare state like Canada, the market is responsible

It is acknowledged in Closing the gap clearinghouse that Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population experience significant levels of health inequality when compared to non-Indigenous Australians across many sectors (Baum et al. 2013, p. 2). This disparity is prominently evident through discordance in the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) data concerning Indigenous health, as well as many other literature, and is contributed to by many interconnected and interdependent social determinants of health negatively affecting this minority. The focal point of this research has been identifying the main ‘upstream’ social determinants – also referred to as ‘distal’ determinants – and thoroughly investigating their impact on Indigenous health.

This assignment focuses on how social determinants within the White Chapel area could have an impact on an individual’s health. ‘The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life’ (WHO, 2016). From my observation carried out within the borough of Tower Hamlets, I concluded that there were three key factors that influenced the health and the lifestyle choices of the residents; these factors were: the type of individuals residing in the Borough, The Community which they lived in, and the conditions of their Environment. From the public walk, I observed that the area was highly populated; with majority of its residents

The World Health Organisation defined health: “State of complete physical and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity” (WHO, 1946 p.100). Many factors influence health such as family traits, behaviours, access to quality healthcare and environment (quality of air, bad/good water and housing conditions) (WHO, 1946). The holistic view of health combines the mind (mental), body (physical), emotional and spiritual elements to a person (Ewes & Simnett, 2003).

The “Sociological Perspective on Health and the Health Care” introduced perspectives about social structure, and social relations. The readers learn the sociological theory and the main misconceptions related to health care, and their policies. It provides an explanation of the production and the distribution of health care services. Firstly, structural functionalism focuses on individuals and groups in society and how it maintains a social role. Furthermore, symbolic interactionism focus on the conflicts in interaction amongst individuals. Moreover, social constructionism focuses on the medical facts and social authority and the reign over all in society. Also, gender and race influence the social conditions, and implications evident in Canadian health. Class conflicts with the control of power and the relationship between the employers and employees. It enhances the inequality evident in workplaces and the social stratification; ranking one by their assets. Materialism portrays that society is a social consensus rather than a conflict. However, this conflicts between the rich and the poor. Therefore, the healthcare impacts the minority, and affects it the most. Since the rich have an advantage of other options, however the minority struggles to afford private health care or buy their way around. Furthermore, the Marxist theory and oppression focuses on the exploitation by capitalism. It emphasizes on

R/602/2954 Understand Employment Responsibilities and Rights in Health, Social Care or Children and Young People’s Settings