Sources of wellbeing: sharpening a sociological tool for diverse populations

A decade ago, to encourage students to look beyond biomedical cause and effect, a model was developed to teach health sociology to paramedics in Australian universities (Kitto, 2004). It was an extension of Mills’ (2000) classical concept of the sociological imagination, which demonstrates how personal problems are often an extension of public issues (Reeves, 2011). For example, students can be taught to imagine how the global financial crisis affects breakfast tables in Brixton, Belfast and Salonika through subtle financial stress, job uncertainty and unemployment. Anxiety and income directly impact health and access to services. Teaching paramedic students to think deeply about the social determinants of health promotes empathy, equity, resilience and cultural sensitivity in patient care.

While Mills (2000) suggested that individual destiny was influenced by social milieu and the historical moment, Australian sociologist Evan Willis (2004) gave theoretical coherence to Mills’ construct by suggesting four domains which could be used to analyse events and circumstances: culture, history, structure and critique. The addition of the domains of spirituality and emotion to Willis’ model was thought to be useful by sociologists teaching paramedics because both domains were gaining recognition as significant determinants of wellbeing. Workplace wellbeing as emotional elements of health has been thoroughly linked by research to efficacy, purpose and respect, all of which are harbingers of health or morbidity (Wilkinson and Marmot, 2003). Spirituality in its broadest sense is discussed in the teaching of nursing, aged care and social work, and it has led to practices such as the inclusion of pets in residences and music in therapy.