Spiritual_Wellness_Holistic_Health_and_the_Practic

Human Ecology and Health Education 239
Prospective health teachers are often long on methods and short on content.
Focusing on methods to the neglect of content is another case of “ throwing out the
baby with the bath water. ” They need a better understanding of the ecology of health,
disease, aging and longevity; and the health and safety hazards of the various critical
stages in the epigenetic human life cycle. They need a better understanding of contemporary
health problems, issues, and options. They need more course work in human
ecology and the behavioral sciences and in health education courses organized and
taught from an ecological viewpoint.
5. Improved Research Needed
We need more sophisticated research related to the theory and practice of health and
safety education (Veenker, 1963). A first step is to develop research laboratories in
colleges and universities offering doctoral programs in health education. For example,
during the past decade, we have developed a Health Education Laboratory and a Safety
and Driver Education Laboratory in the Department of Health and Safety Education at
the University of Illinois. These research laboratories are used by graduate students
and faculty members (Creswell, 1970). There is also an acute need for more interdisciplinary
team research in dealing with complex health education problems that cut
across several fields, such as drug abuse, anti - smoking education, alcohol education,
VD prevention and control, and accident prevention. Fortunately there is much more
grant money available now to fund well - designed research studies in health and safety
education than was the case ten years ago, when we started the research laboratories.
Another “ straw in the wind ” is the establishment of the Research Council of the ASHA
and the research reports and publications of the National Society of Public Health
Educators.
HUMAN SURVIVAL IS NOT ENOUGH
In sum, we need a vastly improved ecological working model of man in nature, in
society, and in the world. One that takes into account man ’ s body, mind, spirit and
milieu. A model that faces up to man ’ s hopes and fears and loves and hates, to his
rational - irrational nature, and to his potentialities for both good and evil (Barrett, 1958;
Sperry, 1964). One that is grounded in the dignity of man, as guided by worthy
motives, goals, ideals, and values. A model of man evolving and adapting that goes
beyond animal survival, as the dominant species on earth. One in which there is room
for emergent novelty and creativeness, and in which, hopefully, man can aim at self -
transcendence and self - fulfillment at a more fully human level. We must beware of
reductionist and the “ nothing but ” fallacy — man is nothing but an animal or a robot.
As we face up to the ecological crisis now confronting us, we need a model of a man
that includes all of human nature, for as the noted psychoanalyst Erik H. Erikson has
recently pointed out, “ there is a core to each man which transcends his psychosocial
identity. ” As part of our task we need to critically reexamine the dangerous half - truth
that there are no bad people, only bad environments.