SUMMARY OF THIS SEMINAR

SUMMARY OF THIS SEMINAR

by Patricia Greenhalgh -
Number of replies: 1

Well done everyone, you've successfully joined in the first virtual seminar. Lots of good examples of illness in social context, and you've got the hang of replying to other people's posts as well. Some of you have also begun to post links to external papers (though I'd like to see more from the academic literature and less from Google!).

Would anyone like to volunteer to summarise the key points made in 300 words? If so, post a reply here to say you're working on it. If nobody volunteers, I will do the summary THIS WEEK ONLY to show you how it's done. By the end of the module everyone should  have done one summary.  

Sara and Moira (the other tutors on this module) will be at the lecture today, and they'll ask you how you found the virtual mode of discussion. If someone wants to Skype me in I'll listen to that discussion. Drop me an email if you have the technology.

In reply to Patricia Greenhalgh

Re: SUMMARY OF THIS SEMINAR

by Patricia Greenhalgh -

Well done all for contributing to the first virtual seminar. I heard from the other tutors that some of you found this daunting, and I think the message we’ve got is we need to break you in a bit more gently with a less challenging (i.e. less theory-heavy) first week.

 

Here’s what I think you posted in the VS:

  1. Lots of examples of how many (perhaps all) illnesses have a social dimension: depression, anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, diabetes, ‘poor prognosis’ conditions such as cystic fibrosis, alcohol-related illness, child sexual abuse, low back pain, eczema, COPD, chlamydia and requests for plastic surgery! 
  2. Some of the above examples were described by starting with some biomedical ‘facts’ such as the prevalence of the condition or its biological basis – the classic ‘biomedical model’ (e.g. see the cystic fibrosis example). You then went on to describe the social IMPACTS of the condition (having cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease, will have social impacts on the individual, on the family, and on society).
  3. Other examples were described the other way round, by considering a social phenomenon and arguing that illness may be generated from it (e.g. pubs à drinking culture à alcohl0related illness and injuries). This is an illustration of the notion that illness may have social CAUSES as well as social impacts.
  4. One or two people grappled with the idea that illness is SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED – that is, it’s the way we talk about and frame a problem that makes it into an illness. In the lecture I used the example of homosexuality, which used to be classified as a “disease” in the UK but which is now considered an orientation and/or lifestyle choice. In the seminar, we saw the example of requests plastic surgery – people seeking medical intervention for a problem such as “nose too big” or “need tummy tuck”. These are only ILLNESSES because we have defined HEALTH in a particular way i.e. we both health and illness are to some extent ‘social constructions’.
  5. Many of you were bold in stating your opinions, and some of you backed your opinions up with evidence. Remember, when you start writing your essays, you will get no marks for opinions that are merely what you believe is the case, UNLESS you have thought critically about those opinions and sought evidence to back them up.
  6. Finally, we’re starting to get academic papers and links posted in the VS. This is good. But make sure you haven’t just posted the first thing that comes up on a Google search. Take a look at such papers but think critically, “is this the best reference I can find to back up my statement?”. A proper search of the electronic databases will usually turn up better evidence.