Reflection on the Medicalization of Health Based on the Social Model of Health
QUESTION
The two illustrative tables below are provided to assist your inquiry into the topics and are provided as a guide. It is in not a requirement that these should be used critically. They serve to assist your reflective processes and analysis.
| HLSC120 Topic 1 | STEP 2 | STEP 3 | References |
| SI Template | Reflection and SI template
Introduce the SI template (briefly). What were your first thoughts/feelings when you read the topic? |
Reflection, SI template with academic sources.
Introduce the SI template (more detail). What is it? Why do we use it? Who developed it? Following your research have your thoughts and feelings on the topic changed or not? |
Germov (2014) Chapter 1 |
| Historical factors:
Example questions |
What is your cultural background? Do you speak a second language?
Have cultural activities or events played a significant part in your life? Have you had much interaction with people from different cultural backgrounds? |
Why is Australia such a multicultural country? What historical events occurred to make this happen? How have Australian health care systems and Australian society evolved over time to cater for such a diverse population? What was the White Australian Policy? |
Germov (2014) Chapters 8 & 9
and a minimum of at least two academic sources |
| Cultural Factors:
Example questions |
Do you think that cultural beliefs have influenced your views of health?
Do you think that cultural beliefs have influenced your views on what is important in society? Do you think different cultural values and beliefs are respected in Australian society? |
What does culture mean? Is there a single Australian culture? How would you describe Australian culture? Do Australians share common beliefs and values? How do cultural values link to concepts of health and illness? |
Germov (2014) Chapters 3, 9, 19 and 20
and a minimum of at least two academic sources |
| Structural Factors:
Example questions |
Do you think that cultural beliefs have influenced how you act and interact with social structures such as school, health | Are all health care systems the same? Why are they different? What is Primary health care? What is the social model of health care? |
Germov (2014) Chapters 19 and 20 |
| systems, government agencies, the media or legal systems?
Do you think that cultural beliefs have influenced how you interact with society or your family life? |
Who decides how health care is designed and delivered? What models of care are most dominant? How has the biomedical model influenced Australia’s health care system? Has the health care system developed systems to account for cultural differences? What are they? |
and a minimum of at least two academic sources | |
| Critical Factors:
Example questions |
Do you think cultural values and beliefs have made your life better or more difficult?
Do you think that your social groups or Australia accepts differences between peoples? Are there things you think we could do better? |
Has the Australian health care system delivered culturally appropriate care?
What programs or initiatives have been implemented? Have these programs been successful? What models of care would be best suited to deliver culturally appropriate care/ What improvements can be made to current programs? Do you have any ideas about new or untried initiatives? |
Germov (2014) Chapters 2, 3 and 19
and a minimum of at least two academic sources |
HLSC Topic 2: STEP 2: STEP 3: References
| SI Template | Reflection and SI template
Introduce the SI template (briefly). What were your first thoughts/feelings when you read the topic? |
Reflection, SI template with academic sources.
Introduce the SI template (more detail). What is it? Why do we use it? Who developed it? Following your research have your thoughts and feelings on the topic changed? |
Germov (2014) Chapter 1 |
| Historical factors:
Example questions |
What are my reactions to knowing there are problems confronting society regarding medicalization of health and prescription drugs?
What do I know about historical factors that have led to the problem? How have my past feelings influenced my understanding of these problems? |
e) How has the historical rise of biomedicine since 1878 been linked to medicalization and prescription drug misuse?
How did the World Health Organisation (WHO) show the limits of biomedicine in 1946? What insights can be gained from rediscovering the social origins of health and illness? (p.14) |
Germov Chapter 1, 12 & 15 (2014)
and a minimum of at least two academic sources |
| Cultural Factors:
Example questions |
Do I take prescription drugs as part of my own cultural practices? Do other ethnic communities use prescription drugs?
How do I feel about the firmly established use of prescription drugs in Australia? What is my personal perspective of prescription drug use and abuse? Do I attach stigma to groups of people who use or misuse prescription drugs? |
f) What are some culturally acceptable practices which can lead to prescription drug misuse?
Does the culture of different communities influence use and misuse of prescription drugs in Australia? What are interventions based on harm minimization? |
Germov (2014)
and a minimum of at least two academic sources |
| Structural Factors:
Example questions |
What social structures have influenced my beliefs and those of my peers on the use and abuse of prescription drugs?
What do I understand about the role of social structures in medicalization such as: government, schools, health care institutions, the medical profession, nursing and allied health professions, and alternative health care industry? |
g) How can ‘Social Constructionism ‘(p.226) explain challenges to medicalisation?
What is the role of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in relation to Big Pharma and medicalisation? (p.291). What harm-minimisation strategies could reduce the problems of prescription drug misuse? (p.287) |
Germov (2014)
and a minimum of at least two academic sources |
| Critical Factors:
Example questions |
Do I understand why drugs are prescribed?
What do I know now about alternatives to medicalization of health? |
h) Has ‘Big Pharma’ (p.291) as part of medicalization of health raised concerns of placing profit above health in Australia?
What alternatives are there? |
Germov
(2014) and a minimum of at least two academic sources |
SAMPLE SOLUTION
The sociological imagination (SI) template is applied in this personal reflection essay to examine my feelings, behaviors and thoughts pertaining my experiences, knowledge and observations as far as the issue of medicalization of health is concerned. Sociological analysis that uses SI template focuses on four sociological factors, which includes historical, cultural, structural and critical factors. These factors are interrelated in one way or the other. Historical factors comprise of family background, past experiences and events that shapes the person or a health issue. Cultural factors comprise of traditions, people’s cultures, and belief systems that may influence behaviors, perceptions, and health care outcomes. Structural factors include the influence of different social institution on health and the individual (Germov, 2014).
I grew in up in an environment and family setting that could easily access and use over the counter medications. Common over the counter medications that I was exposed to by my parents during the early childhood years included a number of sleep inducers, painkillers, deworming agents and painkillers. This seemed to have influenced me at my adolescent and early adulthood years since I had memorized drug names that I could go for whenever I experience headache and other simple symptoms.
I usually observe the similar trend of medication trend common among my medication abuse and self-medication behaviors and attitudes among my friends and peers. At the time before, I received significant education and information about the problem of self-medicalization and medicinal misuse, I often saw it as normal and a good strategy for treating conditions that to me required no medical intervention. But now, I think and view self-medicalization that could lead to medical abuse as a significant health issue.
Sample Solutions
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