ASB 301 Module 7 Discussion: Constructing Health

The ASB 301 Module 7 Discussion: Constructing Health, imagine a modern medical treatment or remedy of your culture judged popular today but if we were to change our society, our religion, or our technology, how might it change? You will also engage with what your peers have written in describing a hypothetical scenario in which these changes would play out. Follow this How-To ASB 301 Guide for each part of the assignment.

Tell us about a medical treatment or remedy popular in your culture today that you think may one day change with future changes in (social, religious, technological, etc.) concepts or beliefs.

Describing Current Medical Treatment or Remedy

We can begin our ASB 301 Week 7 Discussion by identifying a Popular Treatment or Remedy.

• Pick a widely known and used medical treatment or herbal remedy in your culture. Make sure it has a real cultural significance.
• Explain very briefly the treatment or remedy, its components, mode of administration, and traditional practices.
• Explain why this treatment or remedy is important without your culture. You must look at its historical background, social acceptance, and some religious or traditional beliefs associated with its use.
• Give examples or anecdotes about how culturally relevant this is. That will aid us in knowing its importance.

Example

Turmeric milk, or turmeric combined with milk, is a melange of turmeric powder and warm milk enriched with black pepper, honey or ginger or simply with no additions, in my culture, and is more than a drink—it is a tradition. Believed to have many health benefits such as boosting immunity and reducing inflammation, it is normally taken before going to bed for good overall health properties.

Turmeric is very significant to my people and also to the culture, for our medicine tradition as well as in our day to day life. For centuries it has been used in Ayurvedic practice and it is renowned for its anti inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Turmeric milk is socially accepted across all demographics – children, older people, etc. – and is suggested by family elders and holistic health practitioners. It is also a religious point of note because turmeric is regarded as sacred in many religious ceremonies and supposed to purify and heal.

Many people in my community will tell you about some personal experiences that turmeric milk has been good for. Turmeric milk taken during cold and flu seasons is a common practice and many people say it works to ease cold and sore throat symptoms. It is a staple of many home remedies, to the point that its cultural relevance can’t be denied.

Describe a hypothetical scenario in which changing concepts about the disease or condition lead to changes in its treatment.

Hypothetical Scenario

We will then envision changes in the future by presenting a hypothetical situation.

• For the treatment or remedy you described, find where there is the potential for future changes to social, religious, or technological concepts that may affect the use of the treatment or remedy. Think about how these advances or shifts in these areas could modify public perception and practice.
• Describe a specific change. For example, a technological breakthrough signifies a better practical option, a social switch that changes health practices, or a religious movement that gives an alternative reading of existing beliefs.
• Explain how these future changes could replace or supplement the current treatment or remedy. List possible advantages and disadvantages of this change.
• Design a detailed fictional scenario by showing the transition. Make the reader describe how people would adjust to this new way and what elements would lead to its embrace or rejection.

Example

Several social, religious and technological changes that can influence the use of turmeric milk doesn’t end there. For instance, they pointed to the possibility that advanced pharmacological treatments might be developed from the active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin. Thanks to current and future research and technological advances in biotechnology, scientists may find more effective ways to gather and utilize curcumin, perhaps allowing scientists to create more powerful curcumin based supplements or medications.

For example, you have a technological advancement where you are all of a sudden able to synthesize this curcumin pill that has better bioavailability and potency than a regular milk of turmeric. The pill just became a lot more practical, and we might shift public perception and practice. This change offers the advantage of standardized dosage, better efficacy, and it is convenient. For example, there could also be negative effects from turmeric milk: the loss of cultural practices and the holistic benefits from consuming it in its traditional way.

Another example of the transition is that in a detailed hypothetical scenario, where healthcare providers would be suggesting patients take curcumin pills instead of using traditional remedies. However, initially people who appreciated cultural tradition may oppose it, but with time since a new treatment is shown to have proved medical benefits, it may be accepted. The acceptance drivers could be due to the endorsement by medical professionals, to have the medicine’s efficacy validated by clinical studies and to the fact that they fit a busy modern world. Alternatively, some might hold fast to their cultural practices, and deem the new method to be suspicious, refusing to use pharmaceutical interventions.

Finally, it appears that turmeric milk, which now has cultural importance, may change tomorrow with the advancement of social, religious and technological state. It will be essential to strike a balance between progress and cultural preservation by embracing new methods alongside old traditions.

Students must post a response to two other classmates’ initial posts that are no more than 50-100 words and engage in critical or substantive ways with the initial post (e.g., exemplar, critique, question).

Peer Response

Responding to peers is one of the vital parts of the ASB 301 Module 7 Discussion: Constructing Health. At least we need to provide two peer responses. I’ll pick one example post. The below points can be kept in mind while you write your peer responses.

• Carefully read at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Listen to their descriptions and ‘what if’ scenarios.
• Respond with 50-100 words. Be brief, yet make sure it contains meaning.
• Engage critically or substantively with their posts. You can do this by: 
• Pointing out solid points or insights (exemplar).
• Giving constructive critique of other’s actions or alternate points of view (critique).
• Problems can be started by asking probing questions that stimulate deeper thinking or elaboration (question).
• Make sure that you say something meaningful. Don’t use simple agreements or simple compliments that you can just drop off immediately.

Example

Response 01

Hey Sam, nice post! Thanks for your post on turmeric milk. Traditional turmeric milk has been rapidly replaced by curcumin pills because of the potential to improve bioavailability and potency through technology. But it’s important to maintain that cultural balance with modern medical practices. It may take time, but the pull of curcumin pills’ proven efficacy and ease of use may eventually ensure more widespread adoption, a perfect combination of tradition and innovation in healthcare.

Response 02

We need to write two peer responses. For one response I have addressed the given instructions. After going through these instructions, it can be easy for you to write your peer responses to Module 3 Discussion.

Closing

Completing the ASB 301 Module 7 Discussion: Through Constructing Health, you will gain a deeper appreciation of the changing nature of medical treatment and remedies in the presence of cultural context. Understanding how cultural, social, and technological factors influence health practices will be further developed through future changes that you predict and your engagement with your peers. Following this How-To Owlisdom Guide, you can walk toward and discuss the growing changes in the type of medical treatments and remedies in your culture, how to predict future changes, and how to participate in the discussion with your peers.