Before I started studying Health Education I considered health as an individual.

My understanding of good health was being physically and mentally healthy. This
was achieved by living a balanced lifestyle eating right and exercising. I found it
interesting that during a class exercise the group I was in all thought the same
things1. I believe this is due to having similar educational experiences and having
come from white middle-class backgrounds. Although we come from different
places we share similar cultural upbringings.
Now my understanding has broadened. I now consider all the contributing factors
of society that lead to a persons good health. I also think about how each person
contributes to the communitys good health. My broadened understanding of
health is due to reading and learning about the different types of Medicine such
as biomedical model and social model of health (Germov, j. 2014, Ch.1). This
shift in thinking is also from gaining an understanding of well-being and wellness
(Heil, d. 2014, Ch. 3). These models and ideas made me think about prevention
of disease and bad health. Fixing societal issues such as living standards can
have a huge impact on the health of a community. I read research about
estimated saving in health care and other services if the homeless were given
homes (Daro, I. 2015). Once you start thinking of the causes of the causes
(Ward & Meyer 2009, p.343 cited Heil, d. 2014, p. 45) you start treating the
community rather than the individual and fixing the bigger problem. This will
have a flow-on effect and improve individual health.
As discussed in class2 the choice Neo makes in the film The Matrix (1999)
between the red and the blue pill resembles the choice we have. We can forget
what we learn in class and go about our lives or we can learn about health
education, further our understanding of health and help others understand,
creating a well-informed society. I believe there is currently an emphasis on
individual health. Although this is an important part of health, we also need to
highlight the importance of well-being and societal health in order to have
greater improvement in health.
In class, we learnt about the OBARSTR template for reading 3. I found this method
really useful when reading. You get a brief overview of what the text is trying to
say, which gives me a basic understanding of the text. I then build on this
knowledge when I read the whole text. I also get a deeper understanding of each
section in the text. Using my old method, of reading the whole text in one go
failed to give me deeper understand of the text. Discussing the text in class is
also a great way of further developing my understanding of the text. We unpack
the text and build on each others understandings of the text and start asking

1 HLPE1540, 4/33/16, Week 1

2 HLPE1540, 18/33/16, Week 3
3 HLPE1540, 11/3/16, week 2

why. From this I have learnt the importance of building knowledge, this will help
me throughout my studies and also once I become a teacher.

Bibliography:
Banfield, G. (2016). HLPE1540 Workshop, Flinders University, Bedford Park
Daro, I (2015) We know exactly how to end homelessness in Canada, viewed 24
March 2016, <http://o.canada.com/news/national/ending-homelessness-incanada-581832>
Germov, j. (ed.) Second Opinion 5th edition South Melbourne: Oxford University
Press
The Matrix (1999), Film, Warner Brother Pictures, Hollywood, starring Keanu
Reeves and Laurence Fishburne.