The impact of the life course in health and social care

The impact of the life course in health and social care Drawing on the concepts you have studied in Block1, critically reflect on the ways in which your own life course has affected how you work in, or use, health and social care. In this essay I will look at the life course perspective, and how it has provided me with an essential tool to offer a more personalised service. I will describe how my own life course and ‘Biographical Disruption (Bury 1982) has changed the person I am beyond the expectations I had of my presumed journey, and how it has impacted on my practice. Where it has proved to be a strength or a weakness, and how it has made me more sensitive to people’s needs and behaviour. I will look at how my personal values have been shaped and influenced by my life course, and discuss possible ethical conflicts. I will start off explaining the concept of life course using the five principles discussed by Bengtson et al. (2005). Recognising the course that people’s lives take is relatively new to study and research. Until relatively recently the understanding of human development was based on the life cycle approach, one of the oldest accounts of how life’s and families are organised over time (Bengtson, et al 2005, p.9). The approach is based on the idea that people’s lives go through a series of relatively predictable and chronological stages and transitions from birth to death, providing insight in peoples changing roles and identities in relation to landmark occasions such as coming of age, marriage, childbirth and old age. From the 1960’s onwards the life cycle approach began to incorporate psychological elements, which considered the relationship between an individual’s inner world, and the social context in which they live. This idea of considering the whole of a person’s life as offering opportunities for development and change (Crawford and Walker p.2) is re ferred to in literature as life –span development (Sugarman, L. 1986, p.3) or the life-span perspective (Baltes, P. 1987, p.3). At the same time these approaches began to merge with the idea that age and ageing is not only related to a chronological stage in human development, but also to subjective experiences between the individuals own construction of their life course, and social constructions such as schools, labour markets and normative pathways. Ageing is a lifelong process, in general common to all of us, but throughout our journey from birth to death, events can be imposed upon us from which we may have to make decisions and choices that change the path of our life course. Timing is often unexpected and change may not happen at a time we would have chosen it to; this not only impacts upon our own life and future but on those we are linked with. understanding my own life course also supports me professionally working in social care, Crawford and Walker (2003, p.2) point out that social work practice involves interactions between people, which are influenced by each person’s life course, their e xperiences and perceptions about their own life, emphasising the quality of these personal relationships between service users, their families, carers and professionals. In order to understand the impact human development and life events have on individuals I need to have a critical, reflective understanding of how my own life course has shaped me, my behaviour and influenced my beliefs and values. This will enable me to engage with people better, respond more sensitively to people’s experiences and needs and explain why people don’t always act in ways that appear to be in their best interests (K319, Learning Guide 3, 2013). My self-perception and my values and beliefs are very much shaped by my own life courses’ significant events, experiences and transitions, such as growing up in a very large family in the seventies, being a divorced woman with young children and being a main carer for my terminally ill mum. Bengtson et al (2005) identifies five principles that are essential to the life course perspective. First there is the principle of linked lives, which emphasizes on the fact that people’s life courses are interdependent with others, especially relevant in the context of families. Having grown up in a very large family my life has been linked to my siblings and parents, so when my dad fell seriously ill, and never recovered enough to ever return to work, and he needed almost constant supervision and support. The impact on all the family was life changing, my siblings that still lived at home had to find jobs to help the household finances, and they all feel this event ended their childhood. I was 10 years old I was taken to live with my eldest brother and his family. This felt very strange and I remember feeling afraid I would not see my parents again. It was thought that I was too young to understand what was happening so I was never told how ill my dad was, I was never allowed to visit him in hospital, and he was there for a full year. I was just told to be good and not ma ke a fuss. I then stayed for short periods of time with my grown up siblings and extended family, this went on for many months , living a very transient existents and not staying in one place long enough to develop friendships with children my own age. Looking back from my adult self, I can now relate to my difficulties in developing long term relationships and poor self-esteem. On the positive side I was able to develop a lifelong close relationship with a maiden aunt which looking back I don’t feel would have happened if I had stayed in the family home over that period. Secondly there is the principle of historical time and place, â€Å"emphasising the importance of social and historical context in shaping individual lives† (Bengston et al, 2005 p11). This is discussed as how events such as wars, trauma, depression or a period of prosperity affects our lives, Impacting on the life courses of all generations living in that particular time and place. My dad’s illness in the seventies meant he could no longer work and provide for his family, so from being a provider he became cared for, which changed the whole dynamic of the family structure. He also had to rely on sickness benefit, which in the seventies welfare system was very difficult to get and the financial support was very low. This impacted on all the family. We were poor prior to his illness but this plunged us further into poverty. This had a negative effect on us all, but for me at a time when I was just about to start secondary school I felt the stigma of being subjectively po or. I spent many difficult days in school feeling marginalised and bullied by my peers, because I didn’t have nice clothes and had to have free school dinners, at that time children on free dinners had to queue in different lines, this compounded the feelings of inferiority. My mum did her best, and managed to get some part time work alongside her being the main carer for dad, and mother to her children. Looking back, I realise my mum must have been a very strong person to cope with the situation she found herself in, she instilled a strong work ethic into her children, believing hard work would bring rewards. She influenced me with her single minded determination, like Enid with her mother (k319, Learning Guide 3 Audio 3.1). With hindsight this period of my life forced me to become more independent as I had to fend for myself a lot, it also provide me with a valuable lesson in managing on very little money. This benefitted me when I was a single parent following a divorce I was able to budget with a small income. The next principle considers â€Å"the timing of significant life transitions and whether they fit well with cultural expectations of when things should happen† (K319, Learning Guide 3, Activity 3.1). I came into my career as a result of two biographical disruptions in my life. First I was divorced in my mid-twenties and needed to get work to support my children. Then my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and I became her carer. I was able to get part time paid work as a home care assistant through social care, I found I could transfer the skills I had used as a carer and the training I received helped me to support my mum better. I discovered I had very good people skills and enjoyed supporting older people to stay independent. Even later in my life I commenced my social work degree studies in contradiction to society’s view of what is ‘normal’. As with Mike, the case study in Learning Guide 3, Activity 3.5, I had concerns that studying as a mature stu dent would lead to ‘sub-normative’ feelings of being different but on reflection my life skills and experiences have enriched my learning experience. The fourth principle considers the control most people have over their own lives and â€Å"they make choice about what to do and have plans for the future† (K319, Learning Guide 3, Activity 3.1). Although I did not have any influence on my upbringing and not a large amount over my divorce. My experiences have provided me with the power and choice over my future which included a career in social care. I feel my life experience has made me aware of understanding everyone has past life events that impact on their current life. So when I am working with service users and planning for social work interventions, having an understanding of the potential of disruptions such as illness, and other life changes can be major turning point in their lives, and can help people see how they can become an opportunity for them to make changes (agency) in their lives. As in the story of Doireann and Iskender (K319 Learning Guide 3, Audio 3.7), where Iskender’s heart attack became a turnin g point in both his and Doireann’s life. Finally the fifth principle that affirms that ageing is relevant to both the young and old, and development is not exclusive to younger people and children. Our lives are fluid as we travel our life course and we continue to change and develop whatever age we are. My life is still developing and changing as I age, in the sense that I am developing my academic skills, and my experience of caring for my mum throughout her terminal illness and the impact this had on my life. The life cycle assumed that people would have a ‘normative life course’ (K319 Learning guide 3, Activity 3.5).That is to say people will have a life that is expected to be desirable and virtuous by society that is free from problems. Whereas a person with a â€Å"non-normative life course† is often considered to be judged and having to justify and explain their lifestyle. As a divorced woman in my mid-twenties, with two young children, which was not the normal status in the social groups I mixed in, this resulted in me feeling ‘different’ and stigmatised. I felt I had to explain my single status and felt I was seen as a threat to my married friends. I felt I had failed both myself and my children and was worried my children would feel as I did as a child, being bullied for not having a normal childhood. These feelings gave me insight into the lives of others with ‘non-normative’ life courses, whether due to their sexuality or life style c hoices.it has also made me question as a social care provider, does that service user feel as I did, and feel I am judging them therefore they have to explain themselves?. My own experiences of feeling ‘different’ has made me sensitive to the feelings and needs of those who society judges as non-normative, in comparison to people who follow the expected ‘norms’ and pathways we are expected to take. My own life course was in my early childhood a non- normative course, due to the biographical disruption of my dad falling ill and resulted in me having an unconventional childhood. As I grew into adulthood my life course was comparable to the life cycle in that it had proceeded in a socially accepted pattern within a presumed time span which Giele and Elder (1998) described as â€Å"a sequence of socially defined events and roles that the individual enacts over time.† My early adult life followed a life that was considered ‘normative’, I was following the cycle of â€Å"completing formal education, working, forming relationships, marrying and having children†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (K319 Learning Guide 3, Activity 3.3).I did not predict that in my mid-twenties my life would suffer more biographical disruption that would have a huge impact on me, my family and lead into a future I would not have predicted. Bury (2012) describes biographical disruption to be a negative experience but I would disagree with that in relation to my own experience so far as a career in social care is concerned. If I had stayed married and my mum had not got ill, I am sure I would not have followed this path and likely I would have had a very different life now. However I had not consciously thought about entering into the social work profession, I presumed my entry into social care was the result of events that has steered me in the direction of this profession and opportunities that have presented themselves to me i.e. I was in the right place at the right time. Having read ‘Life experience: A neglected form of knowledge in social work education and practice, by Christie et al 1998,I am inclined to agree that my career choice has not been a coincidence but a choice I have made based on the knowledge I have acquired as a result of my life experiences. I am able to draw on my experiences as a knowledge base for my practice alongside the ever developing knowledge I am gaining from my studies. However, I do not â€Å"persist in viewing social work as the profession effective in bringing about social change† (Christie et al 1998). I feel my role is to support others in bringing about their own change, as I have been able to do. How ever I am mindful that the experiences I draw on in my practice are my personal experiences and are owned by me, and others experiences are exclusive to them. I am aware that my knowledge within in my work is limited to my own personal experiences and my personal feelings could influence my approach to service users and the decisions I make in my assessments of them. In conclusion the article from Christie and Weeks has in fact made me question my theory that I did not choose social work as a profession purposefully; perhaps my life experiences have directed rather than influenced my choice to be a social worker, †my own working class background, marriage difficulties, poverty, powerlessness, has influenced me strongly† (Christie el at 1998).This assignment has shown that our life course is an unpredictable path that we follow; it is constantly being reshaped from what we have imagined our life path to follow, by the events that take place around us. But although it presents us with many situations that are out of our control that impact upon us. The understanding of our life course gives us the strength to move forward in our lives, it also presents us with choice and power and positivity to look forward to the future. And as Winston Churchill says â€Å"the farther backwards you can look, the farther forward you are likely to seeâ €  (Churchill circa 1941) Word count 2601 References Baltes, P. (1987) in Crawford, K. and Walker, J. (2003) Social Work and Human Development, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd. Bengtson, V. L., et al. (2005) ‘The lifecourse perspective on ageing: linked lives, timing and history’ in Katz, J., Peace, S. and Spurr, S. (ed) Adult Lives; A life course perspective, Bristol, Policy press/Milton Keynes, The Open University. Bury, M. (1982) ‘Chronic illness as biographical disruption’ in Katz, J. Peace, S. and Spurr’ S(eds)Adult Lives: A life course perspective, Bristol, Policy press/Milton Keynes, The Open University. Christie, A Weeks J (1998): Life experience: A neglected form of knowledge in social work education and practice: Social work in Action. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09503159808411477 (accessed 25 November 2013) Crawford, K. and Walker, J. (2003) Social Work and Human Development, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd. Hareven, T. K. (1982) in Hutchinson, E. (2011) Dimensions of Human Behaviour ; The Changing Life Course, London, Sage Publications. Hutchinson, E. (2011) Dimensions of Human Behaviour; The Changing Life Course, London, Sage Publications. National Churchill Museum: Miscellaneous Wit and Wisdom http://www.nationalchurchillmuseum.org/wit-wisdom-quotes.html (assessed 25 November 2013) Phillips, D. (2006) ‘Quality of Life’ in in Katz, J., Peace, S. and Spurr, S. (ed) Adult Lives; A life course perspective, Bristol Policy press/Milton Keynes, The Open University. Sugarman, L. (1986) in Crawford, K. and Walker, J. (2003) Social Work and Human Development, Exeter, Learning Matters Ltd. The Open University, (2013), ‘Learning Guide 3.1 The life course perspective’, K319 Block 1 Approaches to adulthood and ageing, [online] available at http://www.learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=255389 (Accessed 23 November 2013) The Open University, (2013), ‘Learning Guide 3.5 ‘unusual life course’, K319 Block 1 Approaches to adulthood and ageing, [online] available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=255389 (Accessed 23 November 2013) The Open University (2013) ‘Learning Guide 3: Introduction’, K319 Block 1 [Online]. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=255389 (accessed 23 November 2013). The Open University (2013) ‘I Think I’m still working through it’ [Audio], ‘Learning Guide 3.3: Biographical Disruption’, K319 Block1 [Online]. Available at https://learn2.open.ac.uk/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=255389section=3 (accessed 26 November 2013). Page 1 of 8

Cultural practices that affect health Essay

To be able to gauge the prevalence of female circumcision, the perception of immigrants on its occurrence and benefits, as well as the actual activity that allows it to happen in these communities, an investigative research should be launched to gather information. Since many states have outlawed female circumcision, its occurrence has become an underground activity (Gibeau, 2006). To be able to fully understand the beliefs behind this practice and to determine how prevalent it is, and the circumstances by which it is conducted there is a need to find out where and who is involved in the practice of female circumcision in the United States. The purpose of this study is to investigate the occurrence of female circumcision in the United States and to determine the following: (1) Who practices female circumcision and promotes its occurrence in the community? (2) Where is female circumcision conducted and in what conditions? (3) What is the attitude and opinion of immigrants and first generation Americans toward female circumcision within the migrant community? This study will focus on the occurrence of female circumcision within the migrant communities of African ethnic decent. Because the goal is to determine how the cultural practices specific to an ethnic group has continued within the migrant community, the study sample will consist of immigrants and their offspring or first generation American-born individuals. The study will be conducted through a series of interviews. Interviewees will be chosen based with primary criteria being they are Africa-born individuals who have successfully migrated in the United States as adults, and continue to live with a family or plan remain to have a family in the United States. Face-to-face interviews will be conducted with the assurance of anonymity for interviewees. A structured questionnaire will be created consisting of open ended questions relating to their views regarding female circumcision and their experience or witness of its occurrence. Reference List Gibeau, A. M. (2006). â€Å"Female genital mutilation: When a cultural practice generates clinical and ethical dilemmas. † Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing 27(1). Blackwell Publishing.

Privatization of Public Space

Privatization and Advertising in Public Space The fight to take over the world has begun. This fight is between big corporate companies and their race to take over the most public space and plaster it with their advertisements or just simply control it. In this paper I will examine a variety of opinions on how they have invaded public space and if this invasion is benefiting the public or not. In some cases when big companies come take over in a public location it can be positive.Shea Stadium, although it was not exactly public, was greatly improved when Citigroup bought it and rebuilt the park. It improved the viewing experience at the Mets games and Citigroup gets publicity because people associate the park with them. Many people say that this sort of privatization by a big company can have numerous positive effects for people who use the space. Boston’s South Station has also been privatized in recent years. â€Å"The MBTA entered into a ground lease with Beacon South Stat ion Associates, a wholly owned entity of Beacon Properties Corporation, on January 28, 1988†.The MBTA still uses the station for the trains and buses but the company that leases it can set its own rules for within the space and has the right to sell advertising space within the station. Although commuters can still use the space for travel purposes the space is no longer public. During Occupy Boston the protesters peacefully assembled in South Station when the weather became colder but were asked to leave by police because there were not allowed to congregate there per rules of the company leasing the space.According so Una Spencer, an activist and protester during the occupy movement, â€Å"everywhere we are encountering â€Å"public† spaces which we are told are under control of private companies†. She also mentions that’s our taxes are being used to police these areas that are owned by private companies. Spenser is â€Å"seeing is a chipping away of ou r civil rights from many directions† and our tax dollars are paying the police who keep us from practicing these rights.David Morris, co-founder and vice president of Institute for Local Self-Reliance, brings forward the idea that companies should â€Å"compete on an equal footing, and where those with the most money do not necessarily speak in the loudest voice. † Sometimes companies with the most money are able to get their name out more that a smaller company through advertising. By having ads plastered around a city, a consumer is more likely to choose that company’s product than a smaller company. He believes that by seeing ads for specific companies stifles our ability to choose freely between different things.Morris believes in having public spaces where people within a community can congregate that is free of commercialism where people can share ideas. In Sao Paulo, Brazil people are in agreement with ideas similar to Morris’s and laws are being pu t into place to remove advertising. Larry Rohter, American journalist, covered the decision in Sao Paulo, Brazil to remove all advertising from the city. Sao Paulo is South America’s largest and most prosperous city and there has been much controversy over the law.Rohter quotes Brazilian columnist Roberto Pompeu de Toledo saying the law â€Å"is a rare victory of the public interest over private, of order over disorder, aesthetics over ugliness, of cleanliness over trash. † One controversy over this law is that people who work for companies creating advertising may lose jobs. Big companies who’s advertisements will be taken down are claiming â€Å"consumers will be less informed in their purchasing decisions and even that streets will be less safe at night with the loss of illumination from signs. Not only would the law ban billboards, but it would also ban ads on buses, blimps, and plains, and restrict the size of signs that stores would be allowed to have. Ro hter reported one women in Sao Paulo saying â€Å"the truth is that there are so many banners, billboards, placards, signs, and posters all over the place that they’ve lost their impact. † The mayor or Sao Paulo talks about bringing advertising back in the future, but with many restrictions and limitations. The city will become â€Å"an outdoor metropolis with no outdoor advertising. The Internet is another place that has become a common ground for advertising. Facebook used to be a free online community created by a group of college kids. Initially Facebook was supposed to be free of advertisements and that set it apart from other social networking sites. Now, not only does Facebook have advertisements, the advertisements are tailor made to each user based on that person’s likes and activities posted on their profile. On my Facebook is see ads for snowboard websites because I have the posted as one of my activities.Facebook says it needs to have ads because it keeps Facebook free for users. They say it’s also beneficial for advertisers because the right group of people will see their ads. The Internet is just another place where companies are fighting to broadcast to more customers. Along with the Internet, companies also have influence in restaurants, a place where we may not have even suspected it. Have you ever been to a restaurant and when you ordered a coke and the waitress asks, â€Å"is Pepsi ok? This is because restaurants have deals with soda companies and they â€Å"receive additional benefits when they decide to be exclusive. † By having restaurants that are exclusive the soda company theoretically has won that restaurant over and all the customers in that restaurant. It’s like a war to see which soda companies can have the most restaurants exclusively sell their soda. After careful consideration of all these opinions I cannot say I have come to a final conclusion on advertising in public space. I can see how in some cases advertising and privatization have gone overboard.Losing our ability to congregate in South Station seems a little absurd to me because our tax dollars are paying to enforce laws that are keeping us out of a once public space. However, what would a place like Time Square in New York City be without its huge glowing billboards and signs? And in Sao Paulo they are outlawing blimps as a part of the anti-billboard law, and I think of Boston’s Hood blimp that I can see on the skyline from my dorm room window. Is it really such an obstruction to public space? I don’t think so. And it also doesn’t affect what milk I choose to drink because I still am not a big fan of hood milk.In my opinion the best solution would be to haves stricter laws about advertising and privatization. I think Time Square would lose all its magic if the ads were to be taken off the buildings but in places like schools advertising should really be obsolete. As for privatization , I think if a public space is going to be privatized then public dollars should not be used in that space in any way. In South Station the Transit Police should not be enforcing rules put in place by a private organization when it is tax dollars paying the transit police, not the company.I think it’s a pretty fine line and it is the responsibility of government officials to get the balance between public space, advertising, and privatization right. Bibliography â€Å"Advertising on Facebook. † Facebook. 2 Oct 2012. https://www. facebook. com/about/ads/ Morris, David. â€Å"Curbing the Commercialization of Public Space. † Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 15 Jan 2009. 2 Oct 2012. http://www. ilsr. org/curbing-commercialization-public-space/ Rohter, Larry. â€Å"Streets are Paved with Neon’s Glare, and City Calls a Halt. † New York Times. 2 Dec 2006. 2 Oct 2012. ://www. nytimes. com/2006/12/12/world/Americas/12paulo. html? pagewanted=print&_r=0 Spe nser, Una. â€Å"Occupy Boston: the Privatizing of Public Spaces. † Daily Kos. 30 Oct 2011. 2 Oct 2012. http://www. dailykos. com/story/2011/10/30/1031512/-Occupy-Boston-the-privatizing-of-public-spaces â€Å"Why Aren’t Coke and Pepsi Sold Together at Restaurants? † Xatal. 12 Mar 2009. 2 Oct 2012. http://xatal. com/miscellaneous/why-arent-coke-and-pepsi-sold-together-at-restaurants/ ——————————————– [ 1 ].Una Spenser. â€Å"Occupy Boston: the Privatizing of Public Spaces. † Daily Kos. 30 Oct 2011. 2 Oct 2012. http://www. dailykos. com/story/2011/10/30/1031512/-Occupy-Boston-the-privatizing-of-public-spaces [ 2 ]. Una Spenser. â€Å"Occupy Boston: the Privatizing of Public Spaces. † Daily Kos. 30 Oct 2011. 2 Oct 2012. http://www. dailykos. com/story/2011/10/30/1031512/-Occupy-Boston-the-privatizing-of-public-spaces [ 3 ]. Ibid [ 4 ]. David Morris. â€Å"Curbing the Commercialization of Public Space. † Institute for Local Self-Reliance. 15 Jan 2009. 2 Oct 2012.

Anatomical Evidence of Evolution