Monthly Archives: February 2017

health and well-being, Societies and Lifestyles

Holmes-Rahe Inventory : Reflection on my score

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After totalling up the major events that I have experienced in my life. Overall, I scored 159 which equates to the implication that there is a 50% chance of a major health breakdown in the next two years.

At first glance I was quite shocked and felt my heart sink as the thought of having a 50% chance of a major breakdown before I turned twenty was quite distressing. However, when I look at my score there were only a few factors –according to the scale- that contributed to it. On one hand, noticed that I am only 9 points over the score of 150 which would’ve landed me in the category of low amount of life change. And on the other, feel like the scale does not take into account the severity of some of these impacts and does not have any mention of exams or university work.

I feel most of my stress relates to maintaining a work/life balance with the demands of university and the desire to have a social life too. Within the last year, I have begun university which has proved intense and comes with a lot of pressure but I feel I am coping well with the workload at this point and I am continuing to ensure I have social time.

As we head towards exam time, I will have to begin studying more frequently. However, I also plan on taking leisure breaks to alleviate any unnecessary stress. In the past I have dissolved into tears of frustration because of exam stress but I feel that this task has helped me identify the areas I find stressful and given me strategies to avoid this.

 

Societies and Lifestyles

Are Scottish People “unhealthy”?

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Are Scottish people unhealthy? It is a fair question. In a country famed for snacks like shortbread, tablet and deep fried mars bars (disgusting, I know) and drinks like Irn Bru it would be understandable to assume that Scottish people are unhealthy. Studies show 97.5 per cent of Scots are likely to be either cigarette smokers, heavy drinkers, fat, have a bad diet, and never do any exercise. This has gained us the unlucky title of the “Sick Man” of Europe. Our own culture has given us this title.

Perhaps the blame cannot be placed on our culture. The government recognised that Scottish Primary Schools should have two hours per week and two periods per week form S1-S4. But is this enough and does pupils continue to exercise after S4? Perhaps if Gym memberships and diet plans were cheaper more people would indulge in these advantages. Perhaps it has become too convenient for us to rush to fast food restaurants or order take away meals. There are many factors that could have led to Scotland becoming known as the “Sick Man” of Europe. Relating to my previous blog post, the Glasgow effect might come into play here. The Glasgow Effect states that people from deprived areas of Glasgow and surrounding areas suffer from poor health and early death.

However, is it fair to generalize and say Scottish people are unhealthy? Personally, I don’t think so. It is impossible to say all Scottish people are unhealthy. In my small hometown alone there are at least four Gyms and weekly weight watchers meetings as well as numerous woodland walks and access to a running track. Even gaming consoles, namely the Nintendo Wii, has exercising games such as Wii Sport and Wii fit. So, is there any reason for Scots lacking in exercise? Maybe not.

Therefore, I don’t think that one can say for definite that Scottish people are unhealthy as it is just another generalisation like all Scots wear kilts and chase haggis. For me, it is impossible to give a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer but I do believe as a nation we can become more healthy if we cut down on cigarette smoking, binge drinking and eating fatty/unhealthy foods and exercise more often.

health and well-being

The Glasgow Effect

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The Glasgow Effect

The Glasgow Effect refers to the poor health levels in the Scottish city of Glasgow and its surrounding areas compared to other cities in the UK and Europe. However, both Manchester and Liverpool suffer from similar statistics.

As part of our Society and Lifestyle input we were to read a document titled ‘The Glasgow Effect’ which explores the causes of Glasgow’s unusually high death rate and the link with social deprivation. From reading the document, I gathered that the mortality rates in Glasgow are increasing high and found that deaths in under 65’s is 30% higher in Glasgow and in all deaths Glasgow is 14% higher than similarly deprived areas Liverpool and Manchester. I was most shocked to discover that the suicide rate in Glasgow is 70% higher than other UK cities!

We must ask ourselves if our own culture has a role in these high statistics. On further reading I found that the use of illegal drugs and binge drinking are higher in social deprived areas in Scotland which can be linked to the increasing death rate also. Scots are also known for their poor health including poor diets and lack of exercise which can attribute to illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease as well as obesity.

Overall, the fact that Scotland – and Glasgow in particular – has a shorter life expectancy than the rest of the UK and Europe appalling. In order to change this, we need to analyse our choices (including our diets and exercising habits) and alter our lifestyles.

Societies and Lifestyles, Uncategorized

Society and Lifestyle – Inclusion and Diversity

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The last two society and lifestyle inputs have focused on Inclusion and Diversity.

Two weeks ago, in the Society and Lifestyle module we addressed the question what does ‘Inclusion and Diversity’. In the lecture, we explored the definitions of the words ‘inclusion’ and ‘diversity’ and the impact this has within communities. I found this very interesting however I will need to do some further academic reading to deepen my knowledge on the subject. For the guided independent task, we were to answer questions provided by our lecture. I feel this task was fairly rushed and we didn’t have much tie with the lecturer to ask questions or clarify what was expected from the task. I enjoyed the tutorial seminar. We examined the poem ‘From Prejudice to Genocide: Learning about the Holocaust’. Having studied Germany in advanced higher history, I had already come across this poem. However, I had never examined the poem in depth. I found the poem very powerful and enjoyed exploring how the poem conveys inequality and how this issue can affect anyone, even today.  I enjoyed yesterday’s input and will take part in further reading to clarify any confusion but I am looking forward to next week’s input.

Last week’s lecture focused on disability. Throughout our careers in teaching there is a large possibility we will come across a pupil – or parents – who have a disability and therefore we must have a deep understanding and awareness of disability. We looked at the definition and attitudes towards disability as well as study the Disability Act Movement which I found very interesting. In the Focus on disability Seminar we were to work in groups and consider different scenarios and discuss whether pupils had been treated unfavourably or had been discriminated against. It was interesting to see the differing opinions within the groups and the connections people had made with their own school experience.

Having attended both a primary and secondary school which had a supported learning centre, I had a very different experience from others in my group. I come from an area which has a school for children with severe disabilities as well as a centre for adults with severe disabilities and have therefore grew up with an understanding of disability within the community. I feel that it is important that every child is provided with an understanding of a disability as it is now more common in the school environment.

Overall, I found these inputs very interesting and understand most of the concepts discussed within class but will continue to do some further reading to deepen my own understanding.