Professor Ron Laura and Ms. Sandra Heaney with the book they wrote “Philosophical Foundations of Health Education”, the University of Newcastle, Australia - 1991

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DescriptionThis photo appeared in the Bulletin, February 22, 1991. The text was: New Book - Philosophical Foundations of Health Educations. A new book, Philosophical Foundation of Health Education, jointly written by Professor Ronald Laura and Ms Sandra Heaney, is a high provocative book. The two authors argue that despite the impressive array technological achievements mustered by medical science, the health of the general population has not substantially improved during the present century the idea for the book was born. Published by Routledge in New York and London and just released in Australia, the volume has been prised by a number of distinguished scholars in the health field as an Ã¢Â€Â˜insightful, comprehensive and highly original approach to the health education areaÃ¢Â€Â™ and Ã¢Â€Â˜a major contribution to the foundations of health and medical education and is immensely detailed and a highly original contributionÃ¢Â€Â™. Professor Laura and Ms Heaney say that although there are areas in which progress seems to have been made, the success enjoyed is due less to the wonders of modern medicine than to changes in lifestyle, such as improved sanitation and water quality, along with better housing and nutrition. Even by various measures of mortality, we are not as a population healthier: we have simply substituted one form of disease or social pathology for another. Having battled against infectious diseases such as typhoid and cholera, we are now battling against chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Paradoxically, the authors argue, the gains previously made towards the elimination of certain diseases are being lost through the degradation of the environmental and general lifestyle. The authors suggest and alternative approach to health care which derives from a profoundly ecological and holistic philosophy of nature. They have endeavoured to present a clearer sense to the interface between environmental education on one hand and holistic health education on the other in which the responsibility for health which is inextricably linked to a consciousness of the environment and personal development. Professor Leura and Ms Heaney say that there is a crisis in health care, however, is not so much in dispute as are the reasons given to explain it. Ã¢Â€ÂœMedicine prides itself in being scientific, but the philosophy of science which guides its scientific deliberations is in the end inimical advancement of health,Ã¢Â€Â say Professor Laura and Ms Heaney. Ã¢Â€ÂIt is precisely the reductionist and radically impiricist framework of science which distorts medicine from the holistic interpretations of nature of sickness and health which make it possible to understand either. Ã¢Â€ÂœExposing the limits of conventional philosophical framework of medical science, it can be suggested that an alternative approach to health care which derives from a profoundly ecological and holistic philosophy of nature. We have developed a novel paradigm in which the responsibility for health is inextricably tied to a new consciousness of ecological stewardship and personal development, Ã¢Â€Âœthey say. The book can be purchased from the Co-op Book Shop in the University Union." This image was scanned from a photograph in the University's historical photographic collection held by Special Collections. If you have any information about this photograph, or would like a higher resolution copy, please contact us or leave a comment.InformationDate1991 Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

Sourcehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/5122017051/

IdentifierP3018-8a

Relates to

CollectionUniversity of Newcastle History

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RestrictionsThe image can be used for study and personal research purposes. If you wish to reproduce this image for any other purpose please contact Special Collections. Last edited by: lyn.keily@newcastle.edu.au

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