1.1 Social Justice | Hannah's Land of Learning

In the video clip ‘What Causes Wellness’ (2014) by Sir Harry Burns he poses the question about the cause of wellness for the common wealth? Is it simply the absence of illness? He explains that during his experience in The Royal Infirmary he realised that people with a challenging background, especially during childhood, had a longer recovery time from illness and operations. It was determined that 70% of people who experienced abuse and disruption in childhood experienced significant difficulties in later life. Whereas, 30% survived and acquired resilience which was due to having a mentor in their childhood. It has been made clear that children need to have people in their childhood who care for them and support them.

Social circumstances experienced in childhood link to health when children grow up. Therefore, he states that children need to have a sense of belonging and meaningfulness. Children especially need to acquire a sense of reason in their doing. This allows them to flourish in what they do. If people want to survive then they need a secure reason as to their purpose. Having a good mental wellbeing allows for people to flourish and have a more controlled self-esteem.

If people don’t have the sense of purpose and value then this can lead to biological consequences such as depression, anxiety and stress. It is important for children to have a significant person in which they can lean on such as a parent. Despite this, longer away from their significant person can leave them socially incapable and unable to manage stress. These issues need to be detected early to prevent children from abusing drugs and alcohol in later life. If children have chaotic and unsupported early years then this leads to mental ill health and bad behaviour. Children that are alone and alienated often feel excluded. This cycle of alienation leads to poverty and a person struggling with their life. He states that to break this cycle all of it needs to be addressed and supported not just one aspect.

Ultimately, Sir Harry Burns makes the assertion that connection to a significant person is important as it gives people meaning and purpose and the necessary support system. He also believes that attachment can be improved by bedtime stories. In my practice as a teacher, I am going to ensure each child in my class understands the importance of what they are doing and why. I believe each child should also feel safe and comfortable in my classroom environment so that if they need to they can share their worries and stresses while having someone that will listen and support them. I will explore with my class, through the Health and Wellbeing part of the curriculum, their feelings and emotions in depth and help them to understand the result of their actions.

Burns, H. (2014) What Causes Wellness. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEh3JG74C6s (Accessed: 20.10.16)

The Class Ceiling

In the Radio 4 show with Polly Toynbee about the ‘Class Ceiling’ we listen to the effect of class and the possibility of breaking out of the class you’ve grown up in. She explains that class is still a big divider in this society. Despite the fact that, like in past generations there isn’t as much obvious differentiation, class is still present. We are urged to reflect on what advantages our class has provided us with and where we would be if we didn’t have it. Furthermore, she talks about the different factors which portray a certain class, for example, names, manners and even the clothes we wear. The most popular argument she used is the educational debate which reflects the values of a class with a person’s learning and future career. It is common knowledge that in previous generations only the wealthiest and most powerful went to university but now there is a greater chance of working class people attending. This highlights the ability of people to break free from the social class constricting them and change their class identity. Despite this, in this present day people in a lower social class still have a poor chance in achieving the grades to get a place in further education. Class is dictated in the early stages of an infant’s life and thereon becomes engrained into them. Toynbee states that a knowing parent will push harder for the best for their child, this stresses the impact in which a parent has in their child’s standing in society. The quality of parenting in early years like a parent reading, singing and simply talking to their children can significantly affect them compared to parents who don’t do this with their children. Toynbee concludes her show by referring to the greater number of people breaking out of the limitations of their social class and the positive effects this is having on their lives.