forms of Hygiene

A gift for Hodges' model:

 'good prose is like a windowpane'

George Orwell, WHY I WRITE

https://www.ft.com/content/83625fad-f101-4712-ba2b-483b87ef0e12

'How is it that Orwell has become the single answer to so many questions, in so many different subjects, for so many people? His name conjures an amorphous idea of fair play and “common sense”; his spare prose supposedly brings cool nonpartisanship to a world of impassioned blusterers. In keeping your sentences clean, the theory goes, you practise intellectual hygiene (“good prose is like a windowpane” and all that). A single word, “Orwellian”, evokes the great man’s foresight about the dangers of an overweening nanny state, a censorious far-left or whatever else may be getting your goat that day.'

Naoise Dolan, Why weak thinkers love Orwell, FT Weekend Magazine, October 19/20, 2024, pp.16-18.

INDIVIDUAL

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES              

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL   

|

GROUP

INTELLECTUAL MENTAL - EMOTIONAL - SPIRITUAL (Coping with the 21st Century) SELF-LIFE SKILLS (control anxiety - being organised) Health Literacy: Knowledge and aptitude for forms of HYGIENE	PERSONAL ENVIRONMENTAL DOMESTIC FOOD HANDS (How to sneeze, cough) ORAL - DENTAL CLOTHES BODY HAIR (frequency?) Sustainability - balance
SOCIAL COMMUNITY/RACIAL HYGIENE Insertion of memory lest we forget Insertion of a hook to do - think as we tolerance for x,y,z	POLITICAL HYGIENE aka. The Paradox To Vote : To be counted CIVIC

 

Reflecting about this in some contexts, more than others(?) I'm struck by the overlap between hygiene and literacy.

Completing, or attending to, being motivated to undertake - complete hygiene duties depends on knowledge and ability to act. Having basic needs met.

'

'Opening windows always ...'

literature : window

Reith Lectures: Gwen Adshead - 4 Questions about Violence

Individual
   |

      INTERPERSONAL    :     SCIENCES               

HUMANISTIC  --------------------------------------  MECHANISTIC      

 SOCIOLOGY  :   POLITICAL 

|

Group

Is there such a thing as Evil?	What is the relationship between trauma and violence?
Is violence normal^?	Can we change violent minds?

BBC Radio 4: Lecture 1 - Is there such a thing as Evil?

^'normal' -isation.

Webinar: 11 December - Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2024

"The UHC Compass and Social Participation:

empowering patient organisations to hold governments

 accountable for universal health coverage"

Register for the UHC Compass launch!

To mark Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2024, IAPO will officially launch the UHC Compass at an exciting webinar titled "The UHC Compass and Social Participation: empowering patient organisations to hold governments accountable for universal health coverage" on 11 December 2024, from 11:30 to 13:00 GMT via Zoom.

The webinar will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish.

Panellists include:

• Dani Mothci – International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) 
• Dr Pamela Cipriano – UHC2030 & International Council of Nurses
• Lara Brearley – Special Programme on Primary Health Care Universal Health Coverage - Life Course, World Health Organization
• Dumiso Gatsha – Success Capital NGO & Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM)
• Nicola Bedlington – Global Patient Think Tank & Millwater Partners
• Smitha Sadasivan – Global Patient Think Tank, Inclusive Health Policy, Disability Rights India Foundation & CSEM 
• Paul Mendoza – Psoriasis Philippines and Psoriasis Asia Pacific & IAPO

The UHC Compass is a dynamic tool created by patients for patients, empowering local leaders and communities to advance universal health coverage (UHC). In the context of the World Health Assembly resolution on social participation and UHC Day 2024, this session will explore how the Compass can serve as a tool to hold governments accountable for investing in UHC.

Co-created by the Global Patient Think Tank (GPTT), a diverse group amplifying the patient voice in the UHC movement, the Compass is proudly hosted by IAPO. Our mission is to ensure this resource reaches and benefits our global network of patient organisations.

Join us to discover how the UHC Compass can help make UHC a reality for everyone!

Learn more & register [https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15686] Share https://iapo.cmail19.com/t/d-fb-sfiudt-iuqjytrli-o/ Tweet https://iapo.cmail19.com/t/d-tw-sfiudt-iuqjytrli-b/ Share [https://iapo.cmail19.com/t/d-li-sfiudt-iuqjytrli-h/]

[http://www.iapo.org.uk]

The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations is registered in England and Wales as charity no.1155577 and company limited by guarantee no.08495711.

Registered office: Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB, UK.

It is also the IAPO's 25th Anniversary.
More details at:

https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15687

I will post again in the New Year.

My source: HIFA

Previously: compass : UHC : patients

Baseball: One of the games people play ... Fisher (2001) ii

Critical Thinking 
2nd Ed. Cover

Returning to Fisher's excellent book I mentioned an analogy from basket ball in discussion about Richard Paul's definition of critical thinking and 'thinking about your thinking'.

'Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content or problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking by skilfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and imposing intellectual standards upon them. (Paul, Fisher and Nosich,1993, p. 4).' pp.4-5.

Fisher's daughter aged eleven wanted to learn how to play basket ball and attended coaching sessions. At the first the raw recruits were divided into two teams and with simplified rules set to play. Initially, getting the ball and in a position to score: shoot.

After the chaos, the coach had them practice shooting after he demonstrated how they had been playing. He explained and pointed out the basics of technique and 'drew attention to how he held the ball, where he looked, how he stood and so on.' p.5. Acknowledging their efforts, they subsequently moved on to passing, then guarding, or marking - practising each skill. 

This is a great analogy and can be applied to health, social care, medicine, nursing and other novices. Hodges' model is the basket ball, tennis, squash court, football, hockey pitch. You might move to a position to obtain an advantageous point of view. In reflective, critical thinking terms, additional data to support or negate a line of thought.

The axes of Hodges' model, serve as a scaffold to help structure our 'game player', and possibly better co-ordinate a group or team's efforts. The domains of Hodges' model cover the knowledge or subject bases that will relate to any context. Hodges' model is situated. If there is need to consider spiritual matters - experiences, then a conceptual journey ... at least, as befits an individual's or group's beliefs and purpose can be made. So forms if intelligence (emotional, cultural, spiritual ...) can also be factored in, as necessary.

 

Are there relational, logical, even mathematical standards that can be applied (formally, in theory) to our thinking? Does 'subject, content or problem' equate with 'situated'? Another book to pass on.

Fisher, A. (2001) Critical Thinking: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England. PB. 

Previously: LANDscape : ground : line-of-sight : role-model : structure

Post: ... 'anyone for tennis'.

Critical thinking: several definitions

Critical Thinking 
2nd Ed. Cover

An original purpose of Hodges' model was to facilitate reflection, and so help to develop practitioners who were also competent reflective practitioners, and critical thinkers.

Continuing to clear books, I've arrived at:

Fisher, A. (2001) Critical Thinking: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England. PB. 

Now in a 2nd edition (2011), my copy has several definitions of 'critical thinking' quoted below, with my emphasis.

There is a pdf of this 1st edition online which may be useful. The reward of the book, however, is in the discussion about each definition and how more recent work has built upon Dewey's legacy.  There is also a baseball analogy, which I will return to soon, or append here. I have omitted a definition by Richard Paul, which is nonetheless important to me, as it draws on meta-cognitive qualities:

"1.1.1 John Dewey and 'reflective thinking' ...

In fact, people have been thinking about critical thinking and have been researching how to teach it for about a hundred years In a way, Socrates began this approach to learning over 2,000 years ago, but John Dewey, the American philosopher, psychologist and educator, is widely regarded as the 'father' of the modern critical thinking tradition. He called it 'reflective thinking' and defined it as: 

"Active, persistent, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds which support it and the further conclusions to which it tends. (Dewey, 1909, p. 9)."' p.2.

 'Glaser defined critical thinking as:

(1) an attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way problems and subjects that come within range of one's experience; (2) knowledge of the methods of logical enquiry and reasoning; and (3) some skill in applying those methods. Critical thinking calls for a persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends. (Glaser, 1941, p.5).' p.3.

1.1.3 Robert Ennis - a widely used definition ...

'Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do. (Cf. Norris and Ennis, 1989).' p.4.

Notice the emphasis on being 'reasonable' and 'reflective', which picks up on earlier definitions, but notice also that Ennis speaks of 'deciding what to do', which was not explicitly mentioned earlier; so decision making is part of critical thinking in Ennis's conception. Unlike Dewey's definition, this definition needs no further explanation

A final definition of critical thinking 

One last definition is worth reviewing. Michael Scriven has recently argued that critical thinking is 'an academic competency akin to defines it thus: reading and writing' and is of similarly fundamental importance. He defines it thus:

'Critical thinking is skilled and active interpretation and evaluation of observations and communications, information and argumentation. (Fisher and Scriven, 1997, p. 21).' p.10."

Multicultural Group (NWMG) NW Region - RCN

There is a group that that may be of interest, even if you are not located in the NW of England. If located elsewhere, perhaps you can help start a group in your respective region, and together mobilise and liaise with groups internationally. The group is also on WhatsApp, and Facebook; the website's introduction begins ...

The RCN North West Multicultural Group (NWMG) creates a community for members across the region from multicultural ethnic backgrounds to connect with each other, share their lived experience, knowledge and diverse ideas that help drive change around racism to ensure that their various organisations is the best place to work.

Membership is open to RCN members of Royal College of Nursing from multicultural backgrounds and their allies.

Mission statement: 

The aim of the North West Multicultural Group is to stand against racism and discrimination by using members lived experiences, encouraging organisations to be anti-racist and with the support of allies.  ...

 

Source and continued... https://www.rcn.org.uk/northwest/Get-Involved/NW-Multicultural-Group

Int. Conference on Improving University Teaching 2025

Redefining Education:

Navigating Sustainability and Innovation in a VUCA World

In a world increasingly subject to volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) the goal of sustainability is aspirational, yet elusive.  A UN report published in 2024 notes that “intensifying, interconnected challenges continue to endanger the realization” of the seventeen sustainable development goals identified by the UN Sustainability Conference twelve years ago in Rio de Janeiro.  This is especially true in education, which the report correctly terms “the bedrock of sustainable development.”   It notes the negative effects of the COVID epidemic, regional conflicts, climate shock, and economic turmoil and paints a picture of a planet struggling to make progress towards them. While the big picture may be less than perfect, there is still much cause for hope, as we strive towards a better future.

Against this backdrop, the International Conference on Improving University Teaching seeks to address the challenge of sustainability, equity, and innovation as they affect higher education. In particular, we are exploring how to prepare students for a “VUCA world” in which they will have to contend with multiple challenges, while at the same time ensuring their wellbeing—and that of all academic staff—in the present. By definition, a future subject to uncertainty and ambiguity will require flexibility and adaptability on the part of students. ..

Continued ...

Previously: IUT, VUCA

iii 'Our Housing Disaster'

'Our Housing Disaster'
Image: Goodreads

Here on W2tQ many posts have referred to 'common sense' over the years. Apparently, there is no such thing - which may be another blog post).

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/too-many-goals/202005/theres-no-such-thing-common-sense

In 'Our Housing Disaster' Julian Richer is simultaneously analytic in identifying problems and potential solutions, logical and to me commonsensical. There is a need for debate and decisions at a political level. Residents, must also be involved, have a say. Chapter 10 lists shorter-term actions and longer-term. 

The history of this disaster is tackled in chapter 3. Chapter 4 links very well explaining the rise of renting. If there was ever to be another edition - which the book and issue well-deserve; it would be good to a nod to evidence-based housing policy? This is suggested, as is integrating the many threads of housing; work, transport, infrastructure, shops, water and services. I've posted here about the number of All-Party Parliamentary Groups and talk of joined-up government. Housing is anything but joined-up. You could argue all MPs and Lords should read this book. 

Overall, the book is well produced, the text very readable, large size and well laid out. The 'references' for each chapter are in the form of links. Needless to say, I have only tried a few. The book seems smaller - narrower than a standard paperback, so may have fewer words / line. For posts i & ii, I extracted text from photos, which is a challenge without stressing the book's spine (as I've written before no doubt, I'm squeamish when it comes to books).

In the UK, the Right to Buy and Help to Buy, have long been a feature of housing policy. Of Help To Buy, it has 'cost taxpayers £29 billion in cash terms by 2023' (p.45) and has additional consequences. Milton Keynes is the 'right-to-buy-to-let' capital of England (2017, p.48). Surely, it is time to move on -  and quickly. The history of how we got here is fascinating, like a slow car-crash with critical events that accelerated the inevitable. Taxpayers and citizens all: we have missed out. There is mention of preventing corruption (but yes, more effort on money-laundering and tax evasion please!). The need for buildings inspection, standards of construction and materials and responding to the climate crisis and high energy costs are also stressed.

Richer's stance is tempered, and sets an effective tone. He is not preaching, even as he points to land owned by the Church of England. I remember the NHS selling estate, and yet there is more. While the book is not long, an index would help. I like the final summarising and concluding sentences for each chapter. Physically, they are bound to be there obviously, but there's a welcome sensible thread to these imho. With an index, perhaps I could check back to look up 'productivity, reduced', a problem that has plagued the UK economy. To what extent does housing contribute to this now; since the 1960s? The King's Fund and many other organisations and commentators advocate daily for social care. While it is acknowledged, social care is not one of the government's 5 key 'missions', and now (5th Dec.) there are milestones. Richer refers to the problem of bed-blocking in the NHS, and the need for suitable future housing so older adults can continue to 'live' in their homes.

So often in health we are taught, and learn to assess, plan, intervene, and evaluate a person-centred set of needs, a patient's needs, and a carer's needs. It is welcome to see a collective - population-based focus on needs. The book delivers on the title. So there are no details of nations (or cities) that have a  much better housing system and controls. Over the years it's been interesting and encouraging to read about Vienna in the FT. Below I have mapped/associated selected concepts to the care / knowledge domains of Hodges' model:

INDIVIDUAL

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES              

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL   

|

GROUP

psychological security mental health 'my' home, my space identity peace of mind when costs met facilitate well-being memories LAND - the 'hope' value sense of continuity / permanence children being safe making friends access to 'GREEN' spaces my life course - personal history Cognitive assurance: my area - family & friends / pets /school / work - attachment	LAND - UK geography physical shelter physical health (NO damp, mould, noise...) House building targets/programmes my space/room having an address - identity displacement public/environment health eviction house building - infrastructure land - costs transport links bed-blocking in hospitals Climate Change
place to make a home raise a family belonging sense of community friends & neighbours  anti-social behaviour by tenants social care - older adults social care disabled access to work, schools resources to service a community lack of spare capacity to support people & families in need/crisis	the economy: interest/mortgage rates indebtedness - poverty housing POLICY :: COSTS national housing & land assets inspection and building standards forms of tenure: private, rented, housing assoc. LAW - housing & land legislation housing rights migration, refugees independent advocacy / NGOs compulsory purchase

Thank you Mr Richer for an excellent read and synopsis. I do hope the government listens! My daughter's partner works in estate agency, so I know where my copy is heading: a new home!

OHD i

OHD ii

'Our Housing Disaster' ii

'Our Housing Disaster'
Image: Goodreads

Late to reading about economics, apart from the 'quality press' and an 'O' level in social history (which has actually been really useful in my nursing career), this book can ground and crystallize 'housing' as heard and viewed in the news.

I've a love for hi-fi that I share with Julian Richer, but my wealth lies elsewhere and is decidedly non-monetary. Reading his column in The Sunday Times, I'm impressed with Mr Richer's insight and the extent of his philanthropy. The book notes several initiatives and collaborations, e.g. TaxWatch -https://www.taxwatchuk.org/

On the news you hear of 'intervention' in the market - usually equity or bonds. You - the government - can intervene, or let the market, a market by implication, look after itself. Markets find their own equilibrium, shift to stability ultimately; and this despite economic crises, billion-busting scandals and political parties totally screwing-up.

So, it appears governments have allowed the housing market, to make its own moves.

It's back to the future, the 18th century of laissez-faire: the market has spoken, and its a utter mess.

The book's contents are well structured and delivered in full.

Introduction
1 Disaster? What Housing Disaster?
2 A Housing Crisis That Harms
3 Where Did Housing Go Wrong?
4 The Rise of Renting
5 The Shrinking of Social Housing
6 Underregulated and Oversubscribed
7 Land and Planning: The Price of Permission
8 Making Better Use of Buildings and Land
9 Building a Solution
10 Time for Action - My Housing Manifesto
Conclusion

OHD covers the population as a whole, but 'health' is very well represented in terms of personnel and the impacts of lack of housing and poor quality, unregulated housing: 

'Inability to afford housing is one of the grievances feeding into strikes by public sector workers - even better-paid ones. A survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) in December 2022 found that nearly half (45.3%) of junior doctors had struggled to afford their rent or mortgage in the past year. To earn more, some were taking on extra shifts and the BMA said this added to its concerns around junior doctor exhaustion and burnout. 

The consequences reach out to the public at large, as housing problems hit staff recruitment in health services, education and so on. The NHS visibly cant cope: basic structures are crumbling.' p.25.

We can imagine the anxiety and depression this might provoke. Even for people you might think (assume) would be ordinarily resilient. These are clearly extraordinary times. An email - RCN Magazine - today supports the same conclusion:

The relationship between health and housing is not limited to chapter 2. In chapter 2 though damp and mould (yes a specific case), unsanitary conditions the loss of environment health officers and skilled personnel, reminded me of decades ago an article in HSJ, or in that 'quality press' about the community health councils - CHCs having their teeth extracted. Public (MENTAL) health has taken a stunning fall and desperately needs to be put back together.

More to follow...

'Our Housing Disaster'

Our Housing Disaster

I must finish the spring and summer's reading as pictured, with another two books in the wings. While the smallest text Our Housing Disaster is cheap to buy, an important read and insightful.

Politically, in the UK and many other nations, housing and its opposite -  homelessness, and the supply and cost of housing are ongoing issues.

Julian Richer's book is low cost £4.99 post free with a promo-code; even as I obtained a free copy, learning of the book in Business section of The Sunday Times. 

Our Housing Disaster gets off to a flying start:

'Falling or stagnant house prices are seen as national 'ill' that we must recover from but, in fact, fast-rising house prices and interest rates have proved to be the real ill, destroying the dream of a property-owning democracy that was supposed to benefit all.

Britain's housing policy, such as it is, has failed on its own terms.' p.9.

I remember when Grand Designs appeared on our TVs. Especially the episode with the wood-frame eco-house by Ben Law. This seemed sustainable and time-limited too. Julian Richer really nails the housing problem without delay. Unfortunately, the audience appeal of TV programmes like Grand Designs, Location, ... seem to me symptomatic of the issue Richer raises above. I used to think that the 'middle class' were shooting themselves in the foot; as house prices rose and rose. There was a collapse at one point with the trap of negative equity that my family almost got caught in (had we bought a new home). Richer corrects this view, with a national perspective across ten chapters and 180 pages.

 If the link between health and housing needs to amplified Richer ably achieves this, and quickly:

'Poor housing is harming the nation's health. The housing ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, whose office deals with complaints from social housing tenants about disrepair and mould and damp in their homes, problems recognised now to be a threat to health, has found the situation to be so bad that he has called for a Royal Commission to look at the links between housing, health, and welfare. Too often, the various agencies in housing, health and social care tend not to link up, or even know what the others are doing. which can end up making people's housing situation worse. Someone who has been homeless or who has mental health needs, for example, can require a lot of support once they are housed so that they can pay the rent and maintain the tenancy. If they just get housed and then left to cope on their own, they can struggle, lose the tenancy, become homeless and whole cycle starts again, with all that waste of money and damage to lives.' p.16.

'In addition to the 8m, there must be millions more who are not in crisis, but who have a blight on their future: typically, young, working people, perhaps with children, who are living in private rented accommodation, with a roof over their heads but always worrying they might be evicted. The insecurity and uncertainty that they experience is not good for them or their children. Just as job insecurity makes it hard for people to build a career, housing insecurity makes it hard for people to establish a life.' p.19.

The statistics flow thick and fast but as readable as they are focussed they weave an effective narrative referring to the history of just how we got to this point. The text make stark the dire crisis and need for action and an urgent government response. 

More to follow.