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Larry Adelman’s documentary Place Matters addresses the social determinants of health, focusing on the intersection between socioeconomic class, race, and geography. Place matters in terms of exposure to environmental toxins and other public health hazards like poor infrastructure. This particular episode focuses on asthma and how it is linked to exposure to environmental toxins. Moreover, place determines the access to health resources and also to the ability to form social support networks in a community. The video shows how individual variables like race or economic class need to be contextualized; that multiple variables intersect to inform health outcomes and epidemiological patterns. A person can be disadvantaged from birth, simply by the circumstances of where one was born. Geography and space are therefore linked to power and privilege in the society, unless there is effective public policy to address disparities.
I appreciated watching Place Matters, because the film carefully elucidates the social determinants of health in America. Although the content is disturbing, viewers will feel inspired to take action and be aware of how public policy related to housing, real estate development, and urban planning all impact health outcomes. I also appreciated how the filmmaker allowed the residents to speak...
The connection between urban planning and health is not always immediately apparent, and this video helps to inform the public in the hopes of effecting social and political change. While the video did not necessarily surprise me or change my attitudes, I do now understand more about the urgency of reformed urban planning and social housing policies.
Unfortunately, there are serious obstacles in addressing the social health disparities outlined in Adelman’s film. The first and most important obstacle is public policy related to urban planning and land use. Urban planning is driven by top-down policies that often favor the interests of real estate developers over the general populace. However, the Place Matters segment shows how governments can make a difference. Instead of allowing real estate developers to determine public health outcomes, the residents of a community can promote public policy that enhances quality of life for all residents. The example of the town in West Seattle exemplifies good urban planning and housing policies, contrary to the policies that had been pursued in the town of Richmond, California.
Public policy is shaped by public opinion, which is why raising awareness through documentaries and other…
Works Cited
Adelman, Larry. Place Matters. Documentary, 2008.
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