Essay assignment: social structure and health in everyday life

This assignment combines observation of life in a neighborhood with analysis of those observations based on either the first or second of the CSDH principles for action. We read about the CSDH principles in weeks 9/21 and 9/28, and the reading for 9/28 on Social Inequalities and Public Health (Structural Approaches chapter 3) lists the CSDH principles of action to address health inequities. The first principle focuses on the conditions of daily life,andthesecondfocusesonsocialinequalities. Chooseoneoftheseprinciplestoanalyze your observations of social structure and health in a neighborhood in NYC, then write a 3-4 page essay based on your analysis.

Observation instructions:

Review the 2 CSDH principles you will use for your analysis, and make some notes about what you might look for in a neighborhood to illustrate the issues in that principle.

Choose a neighborhood that is easily accessible to you. Walk around the neighborhood for (atleast)20minutesandtakenotesaboutwhatyousee. Forexample,youmightpay attention to the street life, the kinds of stores and restaurants in the area, access to transportation, apparent quality of housing, state of the sidewalks and streets, and recreationaloptions(forexampleparks,playgrounds,libraries,gymsorYMCA). Think about how this neighborhood has been affected by COVID 19, and how the structural aspects of the neighborhood may shape both risks and the options residents have for managing life during a pandemic.

After you have completed your observations, analyze them in relation to each of the CSDH principles and write 3-4 pages.

A good paper will:

Combine description of observations and analysis

Explicitly connect observations to the issues addressed in each principle

Be well written with correct grammar, spelling and punctuation

Be 3-4 pages (double spaced, 12pt font) not 2 pages plus a couple of lines on a 3rd page