(Public Health) Provide and overview of the development of the public Essay

(Public Health) Provide and overview of the development of the public health movement from the Nineteenth Century to the present day., - Essay Example The major ingredients of an individual's health are nutritional, spiritual, intellectual and of course physical. Through the centuries, there have been various far-reaching and historic developments in this realm, which have made the health sector look like what it looks today. Some consider public health to be a contemporary concept, although it has its foundations way back in time. First, appreciating the essence of public health is important. It basically establishes parameters around the things we do in the world. This can be at the state level, at well at the societal level. However, the more integral thing to understand here is that whereas public health itself is ratified by the governing authority, yet it stems from within the values of the society itself. Thus it takes the form of a cycle, in which all entities become inter-dependent. Taking an imaginary starting point in this circle, the factors start to become prominent within a social group. These are then highlighted at the appropriate levels, and take a more potent form. Religious beliefs, superstitions, moral values, customs of service, all contribute to the same. The colonization that happened in the previous century is a very good example. All the European powers who administered their might over the rest of the world initially went in as economic traders. They stayed in that country for sometime, and tried to understand their emotional climate. Subsequently, they put actions to their thoughts, and militarized their expeditions. The impact of their stay on the now independent colonies is still visible. The places, which had the same culture and customs for centuries, now were changed immensely due to their new leaders. When people at appropriate levels begin to establish the true societal norms of a community, then half the job is done. But the other half remains a much more crucial and even controversial entity. If the established norms would have stayed the same all these centuries, then the world would not be witnessing so much disparity in today's date. The fact of the matter remains that there has been constant change in the paradigm of public health for various cultures. But the establishment of this change has not been easy. Sometimes, it has just taken the normal course of the 'time factor' wherein things gradually mould into the new shape. However, there remains a more abrupt and definitive means of change, which has met its opposition all this while. The reason is simple; as norms are largely based on people's beliefs, therefore so is public health, if anybody attempts to make any change in the same, then their action would be met with opposition. This is more so true in today's age, wherein the global village now exists beyond a metaphor. A person sitting in any part of the world can find about the customs and tradition of the other at an equally diverse area. The human body is susceptible to any new stimulus. Therefore, now people begin to look for common grounds as human beings, something that was only a dream only a couple of decades ago. Technology has brought new life into the concept of public health. Now terms like abortion and euthanasia may still be taboo in a place, but there would be people who will lend an ear if a movement regarding the same would be in process. This is a direct stance against the conventional system of policy based on values. Understanding, studying, analyzing and most importantly applying public health is therefore imperative for the growth and evolution