Looking back on the course, 4250-Gender and Health in Canada, and this website, certain themes were tackled, however one overarching theme and concept becomes apparent. The three themes of Embodied Citizenship, Contesting and Defining Illness, and Authority and Ideals, all interceded into one larger theme that is clear throughout the discussion of gender and health in Canada and the Hutterites, which was health as a social construction. Now health as a social construction is a large issue, however it is infused into much of the historical research in the area of gender and health. The concept of health as a social construction can be described as health being defined or seen through one’s cultural lens, as your social climate dictates different norms of health. As historians were are attempting to better understand what society was like and how people thought and the reasons why. Health offers a gateway and topic of analysis for historians to use in order to interrogate people groups, the social climate, or historical events. In my essay and reading logs I used this form of analysis to interrogate larger issues that went beyond just health and gender. Of course it is important to learn about gender and health in Canada, however the research into this area leads to a greater understanding of other historical topics, by using the concept of health as a social construction
The first theme discussed in the reading logs was Embodied Citizenship, where one’s health became a defining feature of their ability to be a good citizen, and where health was an individual’s responsibility. Relating this to health as a social construction, the move towards a society of Embodied Citizenship can show the actual views of health in Canadians society. Nevertheless, this theme can also deepen the one’s understanding of the move towards individualism in Canadian society. The social climate within Canada was moving towards individualized view of life, which leaked into health as well. Health is not de-attached from societal views, rather is influenced and reflective of climate around it.
In the second theme, Defining and Contesting Illness, this theme uncovers the ways in which illness was defined, while seeing how those definitions were fluid and could be changed by contention. Again there are links between health and popular belief, as changes in social climate permeated into health. Therefore looking at health in the lens of health as a social construction illuminated the changes and happenings in the social climate through the lens of health. The movements in Canadian health notions in regards to pregnancy can be linked and attributed partially to the rise in the women’s movement. Pregnancy, a health topic, could be another tool of analysis to see the societal impact of the women’s movement at different levels.
The last theme that was discussed in the reading logs was Authority and Ideals, where authority figures and groups prescribed ideals of health onto Canadians. Of course this was not a one way street, as average Canadians also fought against prescribed ideals by professionals. Health as a social construction once again becomes a lens of analysis to understand the contention and acceptance of authority in Canadian society, not only in health but across Canadian society.
Looking at my research project, Hutterites and their notions of health, the larger theme of health as a social construction continues. The thesis statement even incorporated this idea that their social climate produced unique notions of health. Looking at this project, health became another tool of not only understanding their ideas of health but also deepened the understanding of the Hutterite’s social climate and their unique beliefs that stemmed from their religious beliefs. Their unique view of health was a by-product of their religious beliefs, where Hutterite’s religious lifestyle dictated all aspects of their life.
In the end the reading logs, the research paper and this website have all illuminated the connection of all these themes to one overarching concept of health as a social construction. As historians we can analyze these different health ideals however, we can go deeper and use health as a tool of societal analysis. Health can be a useful tool of historical analysis, which can be used for many avenues of study. Looking at the impact that religious beliefs had on Hutterite health norms as an example, illuminates that religion within the Hutterite colony was the focal point of their lives. The study of gender and health does not need to be limited to just looking at health norms and the changes that occurred within the sphere exclusively, but historians can link changes and happenings in health to society and form another lens or avenue of analysis. Health is intertwined with other aspects of Canadian life and should be treated that way in historical research, as Canada’s social climate breeds and creates health notions. Health is a tool that can be used for both seeing Canadian health norms and influence our historical analysis of other themes and larger societal trends and beliefs in Canada.