DEAR DENNIS,

A FEW REACTIONS (CAPITALIZED BELOW) TO SOME OF YOURS AT MY POSTING DATING A
COUPLE OF DAYS. I THINK BASICALLY WE ARE IN AGREEMENT AND THAT I DID NOT
STATE MY CASE PRECISELY ENOUGH.

MICHEL O'NEILL

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>I believe that at least some in all of these domains (NURSING, SOCIAL WORK,
>OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, MEDICINE, ETC.) would
>argue that part and parcel of their professions and their
>activities is, in addition to working to support the
>development of sensitive caring services, advocating for
>policies that support their clients in a variety of ways
>outside of their limited caring roles.  All of these ongoing
>professions have as part of their training and in their
>guiding principles, the responsibility to raise issues that
>are fundamental to the well-being of all.

I AGREE VERY MUCH; IT IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO CONVINCE NURSES OF FOR YEARS,
AND TRYING TO EQUIP THEM TO DO. IF YOU UNDERSTOOD MY POSITION AS: THE
STRUCTURAL CHANGES TASKS SHOULD JUST BE RESERVED TO PROFESSIONAL HEALTH
PROMOTERS, I MISSED MY POINT. I NEVERTHELESS THINK THAT THE EXPERTISE
NECESSARY TO CARRY PROPERLY THE INDIVIDUAL AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE ACTIVITIES
(INCLUDING POLICY ACTIVITIES AND POLITICAL ONES AS WELL) REQUIRED TO ALTER
HUMAN HEALTH RELATED BEHAVIOR IS WHAT WE COULD LABEL THE HEALTH PROMOTION
EXPERTISE. THIS EXPERTISE CAN (AND SHOULD) BE ACQUIRED AND APPLIED BY
PEOPLE WITH ALL KIND OF PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS WITHIN THE REALM OF THEIR
OWN PROFESSION AND OUTSIDE OF IT. BUT IT IS NEVERTHELESS A PRECISE
EXPERTISE TO LEARN (TOO MANY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IMPROVISE THEMSELVES AS
INDIVIDUAL OR STRUCTURAL AGENTS OF CHANGE, WITHOUT BENEFITING THE 40 TO 50
YEARS OF EXPERTISE ACCUMULATED IN THE HEALTH PROMOTION REALM).

 Yes, people should eat
>well, yes, people should not smoke, yes people should
>exercise, yes people should cope, yes, yes, yes.  Is this
>all there is, and should be to "health promotion". No!!

IF I HAVE CONVEYED THE IDEA TO LIMIT HEALTH PROMOTION TO THIS, AGAIN I HAVE
MISSED MY POINT. I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO TRY TO FORMULATE AND
PROMOTE THE ENVIRONEMENTAL (AS OPPOSED TO THE INDIVIDUAL) DIMENSION OF
HEALTH PROMOTION'S WORK, ESPECIALLY ITS POLITICS. I NEVERTHELESS THINK THAT
A GOOD WAY TO LEGITIMIZE A CLEAR OBJECT FOR HEALTH PROMOTION IS TO ANCHOR
IT AROUND HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND TO CONSIDER NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUAL DIMENSIONS
OF BEHAVIOR, AS YOU SEEM TO FOCUS ON, BUT THE COLLECTIVE DIMENSIONS AS WELL
(INCLUDING THE CULTURAL, THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONEMENT,
ETC.) AS THEY DETERMINE BEHAVIOR AND SHOULD BE ONE (BUT NOT THE ONLY ONE)
FOCUS FOR ACTION.
>
>"To date, most policies in the area of health promotion have
>supported healthy lifestyles.  Now we need to give more
>emphasis to policies that create healthy living conditions
>and work to ensure that the voices of society's least
>powerful express their concerns in these policy areas."
>
IT IS PRECISLEY WHAT I HAVE TRIED TO WORK AT FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. SO I
THINK I DID NOT FORMULATE MY CASE CLEARLY ENOUGH IN MY (TOO LONG...)
NARRATIVE A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO.

Bonne journee !

Michel O'Neill, Ph.D.

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Professeur titulaire, Ecole des Sciences infirmieres;
co-directeur, GRIPSUL;
4108-J, Pavillon Paul-Comtois
Universite Laval, Quebec, Qc
Canada, G1K 7P4
Telephone: +(1)-418-656-2131 poste 7431; Telecopieur (fax): +(1)-418-656-7747
Internet: [log in to unmask]

Co-directeur, Centre collaborateur quebecois de l'OMS pour le developpemement
de villes et villages en sante / Quebec WHO Collaborating Centre for the
development of Healthy Cities and Towns
2400 D'Estimauville
Beauport, Qc
Canada, J3G 4M4
Telephone: +(1)-418-666-7000 #461 Telecopieur (fax): +(1)-418-666-2776
Internet: [log in to unmask]
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