Welcome to Respecting Health. Societal values and priorities influence health of both people and the planet. I’m Rod Piechowski, and in this episode I’ll introduce myself and you’ll also hear some excerpts from two upcoming shows. The idea behind this show is to highlight different approaches to health, and the values that drive those approaches. Human health is just one way to look at it. Institutional health, environmental health, and the health of the systems we put in place to run societies are equally important to discuss. To talk about transforming health we must also look at the values that drive us. What we value in one part of the world may not be a priority in others.

I recognize the global nature of health and this show will respect that. I intend to bring you the voices of different generations, and their view of health. And not just health as it exists now, but in their vision of the future. I intend to highlight the perspectives of the people who work in healthcare, as well as those who experience it as patients. I also intend to bring you ideas from the domains of education, politics, the arts, technology, and societal trends in general.

This episode, aside from my musings, includes two brief excerpts from upcoming episodes. In the first, at the 5:15 mark, Dr. Carlos Torelli discusses the difference between individualist and collectivist approaches to culture, and how that affects health. In the second, at the 9:30 mark, Dr. Charles Alessi discusses the need to consider culture when instituting health solutions. Both full interviews are coming up in the next episodes.

No one has all of the answers, but we can look beyond borders to learn from others. I hope you’ll join me in exploring the relationships among values, environments, and health!

The photograph in this post reminds me of great potential, and things to come. In the northern hemisphere, winter’s darkness is about to lift, and plants will transition from dormancy to active growth. I took this a few years back, and I have always liked it. I hope you do too. 

Enjoy the preview episode of Respecting Health below, and if you’d like to comment, you can send an email to feedback@respectinghealth.com or just scroll down and join the discussion!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:11 — 9.8MB)

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