Description
ESSAY #4 – SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (2pgs)
Purpose
Students will watch a short video, participate in an activity, and take a survey to explore the social determinants of health and disease.
Instructions
Watch the 5-minute Trailer for the Unnatural Causes documentary series. In the trailer, the question “Is inequality making us sick?” is posed, and some ideas about how this question might be answered are presented. One overarching theme is whether our health is determined strictly by the genes we are born with or shaped by the social conditions in which we grow and develop and the experiences we have. Discuss some of the ideas presented that help you understand whether and how inequality is making us sick.
On the Unnatural Causes documentary website, go to the “Interactivities” page. Scroll down to the “Tale of Two Smokers”activity, which follows Joe and Jill on their journey to quit smoking and lose 20 lbs. Read the introduction page, and then click through each of the “Suggestions to Lower Blood Pressure”, reading Joe and Jane’s responses to each of those suggestions. Watch the graph of their allostatic load change as you go through.
Compare and contrast Joe and Jane’s experiences trying to get healthier.
How do the choices they make depend on the choices they have? In other words, why does it take more than willpower and discipline to change unhealthy habits and behaviors?
Relate this to a health goal you or someone you know have set, and describe some of the challenges and successes you faced due to external factors unrelated to your willpower and discipline.
On the same “Interactivities” page, go to the “Health Equity Quiz”. Take the quiz.
What was your score, and are you surprised by it?
Which questions were the most surprising or interesting to you?
Discuss at least two things you learned from taking this quiz.
Grading Criteria
See Attached Rubric
GUIDELINES FOR ALL WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
As per UNLV second-year seminar requirements, this course has a heavy writing component. There are four major essays (2 pages), two reflection papers about two non-fiction books (4 pages), and a final research paper (4 pages). You are expected to complete every one of these larger assignments and may receive a failing grade if more than 1 is not completed.
Use ESSAY format. No sub-headers or numbered paragraphs.
Use FORMAL writing, not casual as if you are chatting with a friend. No SLANG or Idioms.
Include a DISTINCT Introductory paragraph that tells the purpose of the paper and previews topics to be covered and a Concluding paragraph that summarizes.
DOUBLE SPACE, indent paragraphs 0.5inches, don’t leave extra space between paragraphs, 1 inch margins, size 12 font, either Times New Roman or Arial.
NO title page or Running Header required.
HEADER: 3 lines only, SINGLE-SPACED: Name, Date, Assignment title. Must show on every page; Use “insert header” in Word.
MEET or EXCEED minimum page length requirement. Consider going 1-2 lines onto the next page to be sure you do not lose points.
REFERENCES: Required. Must include all websites required for an assignment and any others you use, Must be academic. Separate page at the end. See APA Module.
IN-TEXT CITATIONS: Required in most paragraphs. NO quotations permitted for this class; Use paraphrasing with citation. See APA Module.
CHECK your Turnitin Similarity score, which should be 20% or less.
EDITING: Spelling, mechanics, word selection (correct use of words), and grammar count. Please proofread your paper carefully.
IF THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET, PAPER MAY BE RETURNED TO YOU WITH A ZERO GRADE UNTIL YOU REDO IT. LATE PENALTIES WILL APPLY
