Final Unit – Social Challenges Final Unit – Social Challenges! Today’s Topic: Health-Impairing Behaviours Health-Impairing Behaviours Anthropologist Viewpoints Sociologist Viewpoints Psychologist Viewpoints A look at the Issues – Class Activity Issue 4 – Curfews Recap Questions Today’s colour is: white

Health-Impairing Behaviours Individual and collective health is a significant factor contributing to human well-being (according to social scientists)

Anthropologists Viewpoints Anthropologists – focus on 2 issues: 1. Health considerations in domestic-scale cultures (which are small kinship-based societies in which production and distribution of goods is organized on a household basis) Factors contributing to health are: high fibre, low-fat diet, low population density, active lifestyle and isolation from viruses (they avoid morbidity – illnesses or physical harm) For example – the Amazon people 2. status of health among people of modern industrialized societies Declining social cohesion and growing stress which can lead to an increase in the incidence of disease (increase in difference between rich a poor causes social cohesion to break down and morbidity increases) For example – isolated Pennsylvania village, saw few heart attacks while family structure remained strong, if social cohesion began to erode the rate of heart attacks rose to the national average How many of you monitor your diet? Are you trying to decrease your morbidity through diet? How many of you find life stressful? What are you doing to manage that stress? What is your future health outlook based on these characteristics?

Sociologists Viewpoints Sociologists examine the ways in which social structure, allocation of resources and social practices (activities/behaviours of people in groups) affect overall health. In Canada, physical inactivity, poor diet and use of tobacco and alcohol are main causes of poor health Sociologists feel there needs to be a shift from medical intervention model (assumption that we don’t need to worry about health because doctors will cure us) to health-promotion perspective (assumption that we must adopt healthy lifestyles to reduce the likelihood of becoming sick) Sociologists think that family, schools, religious institutions, employers and governments will need to take an active roll in changing to a health-promotion perspective Factor % of Premature Deaths Unhealthy Lifestyles 50 Environmental Factors 20 Human Biological Factors Inadequate Health Care 10 This table shows “Causes of Premature Deaths in Canada, 1985-1990” How much control do you have over the possibility of dying young?

Psychologists Viewpoint Clinical Psychology – focuses on health and wellness issues Clinical psychologists – believe that individual factors relating to the patient, rather than larger societal factors, best explain why people become sick These people work with hospitals and mental institution and constitute a significant aspect of the health care delivery system

A look at the Issues You are going to break into 3 groups Each group is going to take an issue and present a summary of it to the class. Everyone is responsible for having a summary of the issues in their notes! Issue 1 – Formula Feeding vs. Breast Feeding (pages 251-253) Issue 2 – Elderly and Alone (pages 253-254) Issue 3 – Teenaged Smokers (pages 254-255)

Curfews Generally, parents and children conflict on whether children should be allowed to stay out late. Curfews are often established to ensure when children should be home. Do you have a curfew? If so, why? What are some health-impairing behaviours staying out late could encourage? Do you think curfews are a good idea for teenagers? Why/why not?

Recap Questions Why are some groups opposed to the sale of baby formula? How do formula manufacturers counter this argument? What are some signs that an elder is depressed? What might cause the depression? What factors pressure students to smoke? How are smokers in school regarded by other smokers? By non-smokers? By non-smoking teachers? What is another health-impairing behaviour (ideally, common with people in your age group)? What factors encourage this behaviour? What steps could be taken to try to change this behaviour?