Dear All,
If we all agree on the meaning, it might not be difficult to act.  How to overcome the barrier that knowledge without skill (of knowing how) creates. Waht is knowledge in that dance between intrapersonal determinants and action, which is interpersonal, the dance between powerlessness and power? Who leads?
I teach human diseases to health educators (undergraduate and graduate courses). To simplify the learning on determinants of health/disease, besides genetics and lifestyle, we talk about environment. Further, we divide environment to physical (e.g., climate, locality...) and social (e.g., all interactions among people, including the health care). It takes time for students to pull to the surface the components of social environment, to define it... they have not been taught to think that way.
Below is an interesting initiative....
Bojana Beric, MD, PhD Candidate at NYUAdjunct at Montclair State University, New Jersey
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>GRADUATION PLEDGE ALLIANCE
(START A CAMPAIGN OR PASS THIS ONTO OTHERS. THANKS)
Humboldt State University (California) initiated the  Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility. It states, "I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work."  Students define for themselves what it means to be socially and environmentally responsible. Students at over a hundred colleges and universities have used the pledge at some level. The schools involved include small liberal arts colleges (Colgate and Skidmore); large state universities (Oregon and Utah), and large private research universities (Harvard and Stanford).  The Pledge is also now found at graduate and professional schools, high schools , and schools overseas (e.g., in France, Taiwan, Canada, and Australia).
Graduates who voluntarily signed the pledge have turned down jobs they did not feel morally comfortable with and have worked to make changes once on the job. For example, they have promoted recycling at their organization, removed racist language from a training manual, worked for gender parity in high school athletics, and helped to convince an employer to refuse a chemical weapons-related contract.
Manchester College now coordinates the campaign effort, which has taken different forms at different institutions. At Manchester, it is a community-wide event involving students, faculty, and staff. Typically, over fifty percent of students sign and keep a wallet-size card stating the pledge, while students and supportive faculty wear green ribbons at commencement and the pledge is printed in the formal commencement program. Depending upon the school, it might take several years to reach this level of institutionalization.  If one can get a few groups/departments involved, and get some media attention on (and off) campus, it will get others interested and build for the future. The project has been covered in newspapers around the country (e.g., USA Today, Washington Post, Associated Press, and Chronicle of Higher Education), as well as being covered in magazines (e.g., Business Week), national radio networks (for instance, ABC), and local T.V. stations (like in Ft. Wayne, IN).
In a sense, the Pledge operates at three levels: students making choices about their employment, schools educating about values and citizenship rather than only knowledge and skills; and the workplace and society being concerned about more than just the bottom line. Think of the impact if even a significant minority of the one million college graduates each year signed and carried out the Pledge.
The Campaign has a web site, at  http://www.graduationpledge.org PLEASE KEEP US INFORMED OF ANY PLEDGE EFFORTS YOU ARE EVEN CONSIDERING TO UNDERTAKE, AS WE TRY TO MONITOR WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND PROVIDE PERIODIC UPDATES ON THE NATIONAL EFFORT (INCLUDING HINTS ON HAVING A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN). Contact  [log in to unmask] for information/questions/comments.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<


In a message dated 9/14/2004 9:44:41 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Barbara Starfield <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>I hope that we can have some influence on the WHO.  I would be glad to>try if nominated and appointed.>>Barbara>>*******************************************************>Barbara Starfield, MD, MPH>University Distinguished Professor>Johns Hopkins University & Medical Institutions>624 North Broadway, Room 452>Baltimore, Maryland 21205>Phone 410-955-3737>Fax 410-614-9046>[log in to unmask]>*******************************************************>>-----Original Message----->From: Social Determinants of Health [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of>Dennis Raphael>Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 9:30 AM>To: [log in to unmask]>Subject: [SDOH] Societal or social determinants of health>>I have thought much this issue.  Indeed, they are "societal determinants>of>health."  See below from chapter 1 of my book.  However, since Marmot et>al., and now the WHO have adopted the term "social determinants of>health">it seems prudent to use the latter -- somewhat less satisfactory term ->for>now.>---------------------------------------------------------------->>Social determinants of health are the economic and social conditions>that>influence the health of individuals, communities, and jurisdictions as a>whole. Social determinants of health determine whether individuals stay>healthy or become ill (a narrow definition of health).  Social>determinants>of health also determine the extent to which a person possesses the>physical, social and personal resources to identify and achieve personal>aspirations, satisfy needs, and cope with the environment (a broader>definition of health). Social determinants of health are about the>quantity>and quality of a variety of resources that a society makes available to>its>members.>>These resources include -- but are not limited to - conditions of>childhood, income, availability of food, housing, employment and working>conditions, and health and social services.  An emphasis upon societal>conditions as determinants of health contrasts with the traditional>focus>upon biomedical and behavioural risk factors such as cholesterol, body>weight, physical activity, diet, and tobacco use.  Since a social>determinants of health approach sees the mainsprings of health as being>how>a society organises and distributes economic and social resources, it>directs attention to economic and social policies as means of improving>health.>>dr>>------------------->Problems/Questions? Send it to Listserv owner: [log in to unmask]>>>To unsubscribe, send the following message in the text section -- NOT>the subject header --  to [log in to unmask]>SIGNOFF SDOH>>DO NOT SEND IT BY HITTING THE REPLY BUTTON. THIS SENDS THE MESSAGE TO>THE ENTIRE LISTSERV AND STILL DOES NOT REMOVE YOU.>>To subscribe to the SDOH list, send the following message to>[log in to unmask] in the text section, NOT in the subject header.>SUBSCRIBE SDOH yourfirstname yourlastname>>To post a message to all 1000+ subscribers, send it to [log in to unmask]>Include in the Subject, its content, and location and date, if relevant.>>For a list of SDOH members, send a request to [log in to unmask]>>To receive messages only once a day, send the following message to>[log in to unmask]>SET SDOH DIGEST>>To view the SDOH archives, go to:>http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/sdoh.html>>------------------->Problems/Questions? Send it to Listserv owner: [log in to unmask]>>>To unsubscribe, send the following message in the text section -- NOT the subject header --  to [log in to unmask]>SIGNOFF SDOH>>DO NOT SEND IT BY HITTING THE REPLY BUTTON. THIS SENDS THE MESSAGE TO THE ENTIRE LISTSERV AND STILL DOES NOT REMOVE YOU.>>To subscribe to the SDOH list, send the following message to [log in to unmask] in the text section, NOT in the subject header.>SUBSCRIBE SDOH yourfirstname yourlastname>>To post a message to all 1000+ subscribers, send it to [log in to unmask]>Include in the Subject, its content, and location and date, if relevant.>>For a list of SDOH members, send a request to [log in to unmask]>>To receive messages only once a day, send the following message to [log in to unmask]>SET SDOH DIGEST>>To view the SDOH archives, go to: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/sdoh.html>

-------------------
Problems/Questions? Send it to Listserv owner: [log in to unmask]


To unsubscribe, send the following message in the text section -- NOT the subject header --  to [log in to unmask]
SIGNOFF SDOH

DO NOT SEND IT BY HITTING THE REPLY BUTTON. THIS SENDS THE MESSAGE TO THE ENTIRE LISTSERV AND STILL DOES NOT REMOVE YOU.

To subscribe to the SDOH list, send the following message to [log in to unmask] in the text section, NOT in the subject header.
SUBSCRIBE SDOH yourfirstname yourlastname

To post a message to all 1000+ subscribers, send it to [log in to unmask]
Include in the Subject, its content, and location and date, if relevant.

For a list of SDOH members, send a request to [log in to unmask]

To receive messages only once a day, send the following message to [log in to unmask]
SET SDOH DIGEST

To view the SDOH archives, go to: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/sdoh.html