People, Health, and Place - Assignment Example

People, health and place Name Instructor’s name Date Question 1 Place attachment is the psychological bond that exists between individuals and their places of work (Butterworth, 2004). It results from great satisfaction and emotional gratification from the workstation. Are mothers and families better off with the access of paid maternal leave? The answer is yes. In examining the association between leave use and family wellbeing, it is however difficult because of the extra influences involved. The access to paternal or maternal leave may be one of the many factors but is not the ultimate factor that determines the families’ wellbeing. Other variables such as financial characteristics and the level of employment (which indicates how work interferes with the family’s lifestyle) also play a role. Through paid parental leave schemes there is an increased likelihood that women will stay longer with an original employer and avoid the cost of looking for other jobs. Parental leave gives fathers and mothers the opportunity to play a greater role in child rearing while still contributing to the labor market. Such incentives increase the attachment of the labor to the particular organization that offers the incentive. The choice of work is determined not only by salary and personal gratification it brings; the additional benefits that come with the job are also important factors that people consider (Pocock & Masterman-Smith, 2006) People weigh up the benefits when making choices about what jobs they prefer. It is only for personal improvement and elevation of living standards that people opt to work; work is supposed to enable you afford a better lifestyle for your family (Considine & Callus 2001). By considering these facts, the organization can alter people’s choices by implementing policies on parental leave and income tested family benefits. This will result in higher retention of the existing labor force. It is apparent that by paid parental leave, the employment duration especially for women will increase. This has positive effects on their acquisition of skills and income with time. Through the improved finances the family can afford better lifestyles for the new family. The mother’s attachment to the labor market therefore affects her wages and financial prospects for the rest of her life. The parents have to against choose which jobs would leave them economically vulnerable during their child rearing years meaning that they would not afford the best for their families. With paid parental leave the parents would have two sources of income and would both still contribute to the child rearing duties. This is because inasmuch as fathers have not changed their employment behavior despite child rearing, there has been an increased engagement of women in full time paid work without re-assignment and broadening of the male roles. Families that had paid leave indicated that they were coping very well with the payment they received from untaxed and undone work. The families that were unemployed and unpaid over their pregnancy period responded that they were not coping very well (Mathers & Schofield 1998). However the paid mothers had the perception that they were being rushed through their early child care. These mothers expected more time with their new born. Of course this is not acceptable with their employers who have to cover the tasks that the mothers are supposed to perform. Studies have indicated that paid maternal leave is associated with low maternal depression and generally advanced mother-child wellbeing. The security provided by good working conditions reduces stress on the employee and enhances physical wellbeing (Bensberg 2004). It also has contributed to reduction in infant mortality, more breast feeding and increased use of preventive health care. Such effects are not found for parents who do not access paid maternal leave. The benefits of increasing paid maternity leave can be measured in the decrease in infant mortality rates (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). Fundamentally, the maternal and child’s physical, social and emotional health improves with implementation of paid maternal leave. Question 2 The “danger of place” is the special connection that one may have to a particular place and becomes the basis for violence and exclusion of those who are not belonging to the place (Malpas, 2008). This is exemplified by conflicts that exists in the Middle East between Israeli and Palestine over the “homeland” that they both claim. The Balkans had the conflict of Kosovo where the main cause was the identity associated with land. Another is the Jewish holocaust in the 20th century by the German Nazi. Australia has had its fair share of instances that can be classified as “danger of place”; the Cronulla beach riots was done to exclude outsiders and people who do not belong to Australia. The danger of place is the cause of inhumanity and conflict. The sense of place becomes a danger once considers the place to be special to them and has special significance. This usually means the place reflects part of us; we are one with the particular place. The danger also exists when we have special relationship between place and self. The place therefore determines who and what the individual is. The relationship is peculiar to the individuals who share the sense of identity and self. The danger of place may result when an individual is of the perception that the place shapes their identity and is a distinction that separates them from others who are not of the same place. The claim of existence of danger is reinforced when an individual considers the place to speak to them and to shape them. The danger of place is also found if the place is a source of identity and distinguishes the individual from others (Malpa, 2008). For refugees to have a sense of belonging and acceptance in the new environment, they must be involved and included in the social, economic and natural environment. This involves the integration of the refugees into the new environment without restrictions that are not uniform with the natives. According to the Environment Framework for Health this can be done by improving access and use to all the dimensions of the environment. If the refugees are allowed access to these facilities to the same level with the citizens, they would have a greater sense of belonging and social well being. The social environment involves the ethnicity, sense of community social support and inclusion. This would be important to refugee sense of inclusion and integration as they enhance the sense of acceptance of cultural diversity. Social environment is characterized by incorporation the cultural and community programs which incorporate different cultures to show case their traditions. The economic environment involves the economic policy, industrial development and elements of globalization. These elements are important as they show a level of uniformity of countries despite the cultural diversity that underlies. Through improved economic environment the refugee communities have greater sense control over their finances, health and general well being. This is achieved through reduction in the unemployment rates and provision of equal opportunity to meaningful work. They are useful as recreation enhancers and provision of leisure (as in visits to parks or other conservations of nature). The social inclusion of refugees would be efficient and satisfactory if there is access to the natural elements of the new environments. Question 3 Sense of place is defined as the important emotional attachment that results from the sense of belonging to a particular place (Baum & Palmer, 2002). Biophilia means the indefinite affinity that man has with nature. The biophilia hypothesis as put forward by Wilson (1984) postulates that there is a fundamental genetically based need in humans to affiliate with natural process. Humans are genetically predisposed to acquire liking or approach natural features that are associated with adaptation or provision of resources (Gullone, 2000). Researchers have shown that even with minimal connections with nature there is increased productivity and health. The same theory suggests that this leads to healing of patients and reduces the frequency of sickness of people in prisons. In an evaluation of patients it was noted that patients who look out of the window have fewer postoperative hospital stays and fewer negative evaluative comments from nurses (Ulrich, 1984). This same strategy may be used in facilitating the well being of elderly patients in an elderly care or at home. Coupled with the sense of place, biophilia can be incorporated as psychoanalysis to give the elderly a sense of wellbeing. Given the long duration that the elderly spend in the elder care homes, the outdoor and natural setting of the external environment is particularly important to the elderly. An exploration of the natural elements in our surrounding will aid the overall wellbeing and development of humans (Frumkin, 2001). The elderly are challenged by the ever shrinking life space and physical decline. They therefore appreciated natural settings with less demand for physical activity. Community workers in high rise building have additional challenges of not having the direct view of nature when they look out of the window. However, they can incorporate companion animals in the elder care homes or even have few potted plants in the homes. Pet owners have been indicated to have lower blood pressure, reduced minor health problems and lower stress levels. Interaction with animals brings a sense of connectedness with nature and helps in cognitive development (Beck & Katcher, 1996). The incorporation of nature in the ambience of the elderly home by having potted plants will also bring a sense of connection with nature in the elderly. The sense of place is also challenged as the high rise status may not be what the elderly are used to. A proper orientation and incorporation of a few personal belongings of the individual into the new environment would be sufficient in developing the sense of place. The community workers can develop a sense of divided rootedness in the elderly adults. In this way the elderly will not lose the attachment they have with their original homes and will still develop emotional attachment to their new homes. The new environment may create a sense of place alienation in the elderly. Their new homes should be part of their independent choice and not a forceful action by their families and the caretakers. The caretakers can make this alienation less by making the attachments to the new environment easy for the elderly. References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2005). Pregnancy and employment transitions, Australia, 2005 (Cat. No. 4913.0). Canberra: Author Baum, F, and Palmer, C, 2002, ‘Opportunity structures’: urban landscapes, social capital and health promotion in Australia. Health Promotion International, vol.17, no.4, pp.351‐361. Bensberg M (2004). Can organisational behaviour lend a health-promoting hand. Health Promotion Journal of Australia 15(2): 109-113 Beck, A. and Katcher, A. 1996. Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship. Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, Indiana Butterworth, I. (2004), Healthy Cities, Sense of Community and Sense of Place: Some Further Reflections on my Fulbright Experience, unpublished report Considine G, & Callus R (2001). The Quality of Working Life.Working paper No 73, University of Sydney Frumkin, H. 2001. Beyond toxicity human health and the natural environment. American Journal of Preventative Medicine. 20:234-42. Gullone, E. 2000. The biophilia hypothesis and life in the 21st century: increasing mental health or increasing pathology? Journal of Happiness Studies. 1:293-321. Mathers CD & Schofield DJ (1998). The health consequences of unemployment: the evidence. Med J Australia 168: 178-182. Pocock B & Masterman-Smith H (2006). The Impact of WorkChoices on Families. Report from the Centre for Work + Life Ulrich, R. 1984. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science. 224(4647):420-1. Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press Read More

The families that were unemployed and unpaid over their pregnancy period responded that they were not coping very well (Mathers & Schofield 1998). However the paid mothers had the perception that they were being rushed through their early child care. These mothers expected more time with their new born. Of course this is not acceptable with their employers who have to cover the tasks that the mothers are supposed to perform. Studies have indicated that paid maternal leave is associated with low maternal depression and generally advanced mother-child wellbeing.

The security provided by good working conditions reduces stress on the employee and enhances physical wellbeing (Bensberg 2004). It also has contributed to reduction in infant mortality, more breast feeding and increased use of preventive health care. Such effects are not found for parents who do not access paid maternal leave. The benefits of increasing paid maternity leave can be measured in the decrease in infant mortality rates (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2005). Fundamentally, the maternal and child’s physical, social and emotional health improves with implementation of paid maternal leave.

Question 2 The “danger of place” is the special connection that one may have to a particular place and becomes the basis for violence and exclusion of those who are not belonging to the place (Malpas, 2008). This is exemplified by conflicts that exists in the Middle East between Israeli and Palestine over the “homeland” that they both claim. The Balkans had the conflict of Kosovo where the main cause was the identity associated with land. Another is the Jewish holocaust in the 20th century by the German Nazi.

Australia has had its fair share of instances that can be classified as “danger of place”; the Cronulla beach riots was done to exclude outsiders and people who do not belong to Australia. The danger of place is the cause of inhumanity and conflict. The sense of place becomes a danger once considers the place to be special to them and has special significance. This usually means the place reflects part of us; we are one with the particular place. The danger also exists when we have special relationship between place and self.

The place therefore determines who and what the individual is. The relationship is peculiar to the individuals who share the sense of identity and self. The danger of place may result when an individual is of the perception that the place shapes their identity and is a distinction that separates them from others who are not of the same place. The claim of existence of danger is reinforced when an individual considers the place to speak to them and to shape them. The danger of place is also found if the place is a source of identity and distinguishes the individual from others (Malpa, 2008).

For refugees to have a sense of belonging and acceptance in the new environment, they must be involved and included in the social, economic and natural environment. This involves the integration of the refugees into the new environment without restrictions that are not uniform with the natives. According to the Environment Framework for Health this can be done by improving access and use to all the dimensions of the environment. If the refugees are allowed access to these facilities to the same level with the citizens, they would have a greater sense of belonging and social well being.

The social environment involves the ethnicity, sense of community social support and inclusion. This would be important to refugee sense of inclusion and integration as they enhance the sense of acceptance of cultural diversity. Social environment is characterized by incorporation the cultural and community programs which incorporate different cultures to show case their traditions. The economic environment involves the economic policy, industrial development and elements of globalization. These elements are important as they show a level of uniformity of countries despite the cultural diversity that underlies.

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