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Sophie Patton

Reflective Journals

Reflective Journal 1
In the first three workshops, I learnt about three topics which were well-being and
wellness, global public health and health problems as social issues. However after
reading each chapter, I found that the chapters on well-being and wellness and
global public health gave more insight into the issue of health, which is why I will be
reflecting on these issues.
The focus of the second workshop was well-being and wellness. In the textbook,
Second Opinion by John Germov well-being or wellness is defined as the state of
feeling well and being in good health, or experiencing a prosperous condition, with a
particular emphasis on the moral or physical welfare or a person or community
(Germov, 2014, p.41). During the workshop I broadened my knowledge and
understanding of health, well-being and wellness. This was achieved ty having a
class discussion about the differences between health and well-being or wellness
and watching some videos about the health and well-being of different people in
different countries. I learnt so much from watching the videos and listening to other
peoples opinions. Some of the things I learnt were that health and well-being or
wellness are interrelated, each person views health and well-being or wellness
differently and the level of health and well-being or wellness differs in various
countries such as China and Cuba which was portrayed in the class videos. The
problems in China and Cuba were poor hygiene and sanitation, poor working
conditions, low wages and the mistreatment of women and girls physically and
sexually. The videos gave me empathy for the people living with poor health and a
low level of well-being or wellness because both videos made me realise how lucky
and fortunate I am to be a part of a healthy and happy country in the whole. It has
made me realise that not every country or group of people experiences an adequate
level of health and well-being or wellness primarily because of their financial
situation.
The focus of the third workshop was Global Public Health. In the textbook, Second
Opinion by John Germov global public health or inequality is defined as inequalities
between countries or grouping different countries together based on their living
standards and their socio-economic status. It is also defined as classifying
countries based on their income whether it be high or low (Germov, 2014, p.65).
The workshop enabled me to broaden my understanding of global public health. The

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

videos depicted poor hygiene and waste disposal practices and poor management of
products by production companies. The videos created in-depth discussion in our
workshop about the varied levels of global public health for each community in both
high and low income countries. Some examples of the things I learnt were that
global public health relies on adequate health practices or methods such as
medicine, global public health is about all countries, their population and the
environment and the effect global public health has on different groups of people
such as the economically disadvantaged. Poor education opportunities in these
countries do not assist in improving good health practices. The videos made me self
reflect on what I do because they showed that people, including me need to gain a
better understanding of our social and moral obligations to make change. This made
me realise that global public health isnt just about the health of people in developing
or low income countries, its about the health of people in developed or high income
countries positively impacting on poorer countries.

Words: 579

Reference List
Germov, J, (2014), Chapter 3: Well-being and wellness, Australia, Oxford University
Press.
Germov, J, (2014), Chapter 4: Global Public Health, Australia, Oxford University
Press.

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

Reflective Journal 2
Each of the health workshops have enabled me to gain a better understanding of the
issues that affect both the local and global community and contribute to my changing
understanding of health. Some of these issues include; Class Health, Gendered
Health and Food, Health and Social Wellbeing.
The workshop on class health gave me a great insight into the class origins of health
inequality and the importance of class in a society. The chapter reading improved
my understanding of the impact of class inequality in Australia and their differences.
According to John Germovs book, Second Opinion, class and health is defined
according to the following characteristics: ownership and control of scarce economic
resources; ownership of marketable skills and qualifications; and wage labour. I
believe that John Germovs definition of class and health is accurate. However, I
believe that class health is defined based on a persons socio-economic status,
income and role in society.
In the workshop on class health, I learnt a great deal about the impact of high and
low income countries on health. Participating in a game that ranked people based
on their class was valuable. This was achieved by splitting people into 3 groups, the
triangles, circles and squares. The squares represented the ruling class, the circles
represented the middle class and the triangles represented the poor. This activity
made it easier for me to understand the significance of ranking people based on their
class and how it can affect their health. Being more aware of how class can
contribute to poor health made me realise how fortunate I am to be part of a caring,
supportive and generous community. My life experiences that relate to this issue
include; having adequate living conditions, access to a decent education and the
ability to be independent. These life experiences make me realise that I am
extremely fortunate to be part of a community that has all the basic necessities
needed for survival and is capable of providing their children with a decent
education. I believe that class health is still an issue, especially for people in third
world countries. There is an unequal distribution of food, water and shelter between
classes that contributes to class health issues, along with different levels of
education and awareness of health issues between classes.

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Reflective Journals

The workshop on gendered health gave me an understanding of the factors that


contribute to gendered health and how it can be changed. The chapter reading on
gendered health and the sex comparisons and gendered exposures that can
contribute to illnesses and diseases was insightful. Understanding gendered
experiences including the womens health movement, mens health, intersectionality
and gender mainstreaming assisted in formulating opinions. According to John
Germovs book, Second Opinion, gendered health is defined through the idea that
humans have sexually specific organs and processes, and the malfunction in those
organs and processes leads to the relationship between gender and health. I
believe that John Germovs definition of gender and health is accurate. However, I
think that gendered health is defined based on a persons individual body type, age,
family history, genetics, culture and socio-economic status.
The workshop on gender and health discussed the effects of gendered health for
both men and women. I participated in the class discussion about gendered health
and gender stereotypes for men and women. As a class, we had a discussion about
how a persons health is influenced by their individual character traits. I also worked
with others to brainstorm activities where we as individuals received expectations
based on our gender and to develop a scenario that incorporates the idea of
gendered health. These activities made it easier for me to understand how gender
can change a persons understanding of health and effect how health professionals
diagnose different diseases and illnesses in men and women. Being part of a
society where humans value the importance of health is not what all countries value.
Some personal experiences that relate to this issue include; going to university,
going out with my friends and maintaining adequate health and nutrition. These
personal experiences support me in being a healthy and active person who is
fortunate to have access to an adequate food supply. Gendered health is still an
issue, particularly for people in low income countries.
The textbook chapter reading about Food, Health and Social Wellbeing gave me
great insight into the social context of food, the structure-agency debate and the
medicalization and McDonaldization of food. The chapter reading informed me of
the term, obesity and why obesity is an epidemic or causes moral panic. It also gave
me a better understanding of the social distribution, construction and stigmatisation
of obesity. According to John Germovs book, Second Opinion, Food, Health and

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

Social Wellbeing is defined based on the idea that a medical or nutritional science
perspective of food, health and social factors influence our eating habits. I believe
that John Germovs definition of Food, Health and Social Wellbeing is accurate.
However, I think that Food, Health and Social Wellbeing is defined based on a
persons diet and lifestyle choices, level of physical activity and interaction with
others.
During the Food, Health and Social Wellbeing workshop, I learnt a lot about social
appetite and how it is linked to food production, distribution and consumption. I
gained this knowledge by participating in various group discussions and activities.
An activity I participated in was a group task that involved discovering the link
between social appetite and food production, distribution and consumption in both
high and low income countries. The chosen activities made it easier for me to
understand how Food, Health and Social Wellbeing affects people and their health.
My individual experiences that relate to this issue are the same as the ones that
relate to gendered health. These individual experiences make me realise that I am
able to live a very happy, healthy and active life. So therefore, I believe that Food,
Health and Social Wellbeing is still an issue, particularly for people living in less
developed and economically stable countries.

Words: 985

Reference List
Germov, J, (2014), Second Opinion, Chapter 5: The Class Origins of Health
Inequality, 5th edu, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oxford University Press.
Germov, J, (2014), Second Opinion, Chapter 7: Gendered Health, 5 th edu, South
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oxford University Press.
Germov, J, (2014), Second Opinion, Chapter 11: The Social Appetite: A Sociological
Approach to Food and Nutrition, 5th edu, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oxford
University Press.

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

Reflective Journal 3
All the health workshops have enabled me to expand my knowledge and develop a
better understanding of health. The topics I will be focusing on include; Indigenous
Health, Power, Politics and Health Care and Health Education and Health Promotion.
A topic that I enjoyed learning about during this semester was Indigenous Health. It
gave me a better perspective about the health differences for both indigenous and
non-indigenous people. Participating in the class discussions and watching a video
about indigenous ill-health assisted my understanding of these differences. The
workshop on Indigenous Health gave me an understanding of how Indigenous
people lack access to a range of health services and medical professionals in
comparison to non-indigenous people who have the financial capacity to access
these services. It also made me more aware of how different cultures and lifestyles
affect the health of every person in a community. The chapter reading was greatly
insightful into the significance of Indigenous health inequality. Life expectancy for
Indigenous Australian males and females was on average 11.5 and 9.7 years less
than non-indigenous Australians (John Germov, Second Opinion, p149). The
reading also enabled me to develop my understanding of the social production of
Indigenous ill-health, colonialism and dispossession. I also learnt a great deal about
institutionalisation and the history and political economy of alcohol in Indigenous
Australia. A research survey showed that 24.5 per cent of Indigenous people do not
drink; 24.6 per cent drink at levels likely to cause high risk to their health in the short
term; and 31.0 per cent drink at levels likely to cause high risk to their health in the
long term (John Germov, Second Opinion, p149). After reading this chapter, I have
learnt a lot about the impact of indigenous health inequality on indigenous people
and their communities. I have also been able to develop a better understanding of
Indigenous health and the inequality of health for indigenous people compared with
non-indigenous people.
According to John Germov, Indigenous health inequality is referred to as a range of
health inequalities faced by Indigenous people (Second Opinion, p148). I believe
that his view on Indigenous health inequality is accurate. However, in my opinion,
Indigenous health inequality refers to the idea that Indigenous people arent being
provided with the same level of health care as non-indigenous people. These

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

definitions differ because they explore different aspects of Indigenous health


inequality. My life experiences are very different to that of Indigenous health,
including having adequate health, access to a range of health services and
organisations and adequate health insurance. This enables me to stay healthy,
avoid a variety of health problems and maintain a healthy lifestyle. These life
experiences relate to this topic because they show that I suffer from less health
inequalities than indigenous people.
Another topic I learnt about during this semester was Power, Politics and Health
Care. I found this topic interesting because it discussed the link between politics and
health care. The workshop enabled me to deepen my understanding of how politics
impacts on a countrys health care system. It also enabled me to gain a better
understanding of how a health care system constantly changes depending on a
countrys government. Throughout the workshop, I learnt a lot about the Australian
health care system in particular the history of meeting the needs of all Australians.
In 1901, the colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland,
Tasmania, and Western Australia agreed to the establishment of the Commonwealth
of Australia; however, the founding fathers were anxious to balance the needs of the
Australian people as a whole against the rights of individual states (John Germov,
Second Opinion, p360). I also learnt a great deal about health care system
payments, the changes to the health care system and health care systems in other
countries. I learnt these things by participating in numerous class discussions, a
range of activities and watching a video about health care systems in other
countries. The discussions, activities and video gave me a better understanding of
how the health care system differs in every country and how the Commonwealth
government plays a leadership role in national health matters but also exercises a
signicant nancial role. In 200910 it provided 44 per cent of total health funding
(John Germov, Second Opinion, p361). They also made me more aware of how
politics and power impact on the promotion of health care in high and low income
countries. Participating in the discussions and activities and viewing the video
showed the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and having access to
various health services. The textbook reading made the connection between politics
and health care. I now understand shared government responsibilities and the
public/private division of responsibilities in regards to a countrys health care system.

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

In 2009-10, private sources such as health insurance funds, out-of-pocket


payments, and compulsory third-party motor vehicle and workers compensation
insurers accounted for 30 per cent of total health funding (John Germov, Second
Opinion, p363). I learnt a great deal about the national health reform, different health
care systems and social and economic liberalism.
According to John Germov, the Australian health care system is made up of two
categories, which include its federal structure and a public/private division of
responsibilities (Second Opinion, p360). I believe that his view on the Australian
health care system is accurate. However, in my opinion, the Australian health care
system is a set of rules or regulations that the government use to ensure that every
individual receives health insurance. These definitions differ because they present
alternative views on the purpose of the Australian health care system. Some
personal experiences that relate to this topic include; having access to a range of
health services and organisations that promote the importance of adequate health, a
family that values the consumption of healthy and nutritious food and the ability to
maintain an adequate level of physical activity. They relate to what we have
discussed and learnt in the topic because they show that I am able to maintain a
healthy standard of living, avoid a range of health problems and maintain a healthy
lifestyle. Another reason why these personal experiences relate to the topic is
because they show that every persons health care system is different.
The final workshop I will be focussing on was about health education and health
promotion. I found this workshop very interesting because it enabled me to gain a
better understanding of how health promotion plays an important part in health
education. In this workshop, I gained a better understanding of some of the first
world problems that relate to health, human ecology and the Ecological Public Health
Model. I also gained a better understanding of the IHP and SCHP health program
models, some SCHP health program approaches and the idea of co-motion
promotion. I learnt these things by participating in a range of activities and class
discussions and watching two videos about health promotion. Despite
developments at the national and international level in support of making social
environments conducive to health, most health promotion activity in Western
countries such as Australia has continued to be very narrowly focused around the
IHP approach of educating people to change their lifestyles (John Germov, Second

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

Opinion, p468). The activities, discussions and videos gave me a better


understanding of health promotion and some health promotion models and
approaches. They also made me more aware of the importance of health promotion
in both developed and developing countries. These aspects of the workshop
enabled me to recognise the numerous factors that contribute to good health
promotion programs, models and approaches. The textbook reading on a Sociology
of Health Promotion enabled me to develop a better understanding of the history of
health promotion and the IHP health promotion program. It also enabled me to gain
a better understanding of the SCHP health promotion program and some examples
of SCHP health promotion program approaches which were based on smoking, diet
and Indigenous Australian health. The SCHP approach involves both small-scale
local interventions and broader national or global social change (such as legislative
change and humanitarian interventions in developing countries) (John Germov,
Second Opinion, p473).
According to John Germov, health promotion aims to improve the health of whole
populations. Before the 1970s, there was a three-pronged approach to addressing
health and illness: providing communities with basic public health facilities (such as
clean water and sewerage); providing hospital-based services; and providing health
education (Second Opinion, p465). I believe that his view on health promotion is
accurate. However, in my opinion, health promotion is about using various strategies
and methods to promote adequate levels of health education for different groups of
people. These definitions differ because they describe different approaches to the
idea of health promotion. Some of my own experiences that relate to this topic
include; having access to a range of health services and organisations that value
health promotion, a decent health insurance and a good health care system. This
relates to what we have discussed and learnt in the topic because it shows that I
want to maintain a healthy standard of living, value my own health as well as the
health of other people, especially my family and value the importance of health
promotion.

Words:1,538

Sophie Patton
Reflective Journals

Reference list
Germov, J, (2014), Second Opinion, Chapter 8: Indigenous Health: The Perpetuation
of Inequality, 5th edu, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oxford University Press.
Germov, J, (2014), Second Opinion, Chapter 19: Power, Politics and Health Care, 5 th
edu, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oxford University Press.
Germov, J, (2014), Second Opinion, Chapter 24: A Sociology of Health Promotion, 5 th
edu, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Oxford University Press.

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