Social Forces and System Dynamics that Influence Health: An Experiential Conference
July 17-19, 2008 in Troutdale, Oregon
"Unless and until we become sensitive to the real power of the systems we live in, and fully appreciate the implicit dynamics of those systems, behavior change will be transient and situational change illusory." (Zimbardo, 2007)
Those interested in learning more about how systems influence health are invited to attend a three-day, nonresidential conference in Portland. In addition to those who work in public health and health care, leaders of nonprofit organizations that provide services to disenfranchised members of our communities are particularly encouraged to register. Partial scholarships are available--at least 40 % of scholarship dollars is available for persons representing or serving disadvantaged communities and communities of color. The scholarship deadline has been extended--applications will continue to be received and reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis in June.
BACKGROUND
Social forces are major determinants of our health. New research and recent experiences – in our own lives and with those we live, work and serve – prove this daily. Even diseases attributable to individual behavior, like obesity, are influenced by underlying conditions such as poverty, discrimination, stress, marketing by profit-driven global corporations, substandard housing, built environments, etc. Health disparities exist because of these forces.
This explains why approaches that address only individual behavioral change are no longer sufficient to improve health and prevent disease. We need to:
- Recognize the explicit, implicit, situational, and social forces that drive the systems in which we live as equal determinants of health and illness.
- Understand how we participate in these forces.
- Create new, systems-based approaches that seek to address and heal the whole, not just the separate parts.
"Having participated in and AK Rice conference in the past, I can’t think of a more logical convergence of subject and form for this type of experiential learning. The social forces that impact our health are rooted in systems that we are inevitably a part of. In order to change those systems, and the health inequities that they produce, we must learn to recognize these systems and our own predispositions and role(s) as participants and change agents. As an attendee, you are immersed into many systems at once, and you can learn about your many roles depending in the group and the task—a perfect lens for examining the social determinants of health." --
Elena Wiesenthal
Curious? Listen to a self-described "tall white male," "token black woman" and other participants talk about how their experience in a group relations conference changed them on YouTube.
Click here for more information about the conference methods, objectives, structure, staff, schedule and fees.
Click here for the conference application.
Health Disparities and Systems Health: A Primer (MS Word document)
Direct all questions to Leslie Bevan, 503-341-8406 or leslie@living-yoga.org.
Two pre-conference informational sessions were held in Portland:
May 15, 4:00 to 5:00 pm |
May 20, 4:00 to 5:00 pm |
Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, Northwest Health Foundation, and GREX, an affiliate of the A.K. Rice Institute for the Study of Social Systems.