Shifting from social determinants of health to social determination of life
Event Details
Thursday, September 12, 1:30-2:30 PM ET
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Ana Malfitano
Associate Professor – Occupational Therapy Department and Post-Graduate Program in Occupational Therapy in Federal University of São Carlos (Brazil)
Visiting Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Western University
Concepts of health and illness have changed across historical time with consequences for the types of policies and practices implemented in the name of health. As concerns about health inequities have come to the fore, social models of health, such as those addressing the social determinants of health, have been forwarded to understand and address the diverse range of factors, at individual to systemic levels, shaping inequities. Nonetheless, some scholars have critiqued these types of models questioning whether the goal is to characterize and hierarchize social determinants of health or whether the goal should be to address the social determination of life and the inherent contradictions in neoliberal societies. Moreover, these critiques highlight how the acritical use of social models can further deepen the medicalization of life under the pretense of health equity. In this lecture, it is argued that health professionals and researchers should address the social determination of life, thereby enhancing critical awareness of one’s professional role and the goal of social transformation.
