230113 VO Health and Health Promotion in Organisational Settings (2013S)

There are several reasons why Sociologists should be especially interested in the relationship of health and organisations. In a Society of Organisations, health impacts of these settings gain increasing relevance, and health gains more and more attention in today;s society labelled as a Health Society by some. So interest also in health impacts of settings dominated by organisations like schools, hospitals, long-term care units, offices, factories etc. increases; we want to know more about risks and potentials. And also interest increases how we can influence this impact in a positive direction. Health promotion has evolved as new strategy to influence health in the last 30 years, sponsored by WHO in many forms, developing policy contexts, professional practice and scientific knowledge. Sociology has contributed a lot, particularly concerning the Settings Approach. Many of these settings in which we live our everyday life and heavily impact on our health are controlled or at least influenced by organisations. Intervention strategies of the Settings Approach focus on determinants that are influenced by organisational functioning, trying to optimize in a health promoting directiion.
Inputs and discussions will include the following issues:
-an extended understanding of health
- theoretical and empirical knowledge on impacts of organisations on health
- the concept of Settings
- Strategies for health promotion in organisational settings, examples from schools, business companies, hospitals and long-term care facilities
- Empirical research on the settings approach: Type and function of research (needs assessment, diagnosis, evaluation, impact analysis, action research etc.), design and methods
- Health Promotion as strategy to extend social control? A critical reflection