Welfare through the looking glass

It is not a huge hyperbole to state that health- and social- care are subjects often wrapped in mistery for most, even for the very beneficiaries.

Politicians talk of cost savings, and optimization of the throughput, opinion leaders and policy makers of commoditization and user satisfaction, …but is welfare actually a production ecosystem?

And what to do of the right to self-determination, in contrast with public health?

One could dwell ever deeper: have you ever wondered how is the cost of care determined, and how is the effectiveness of an intervention or quality of a provider measured? And deeper yet, how do we know what is acceptable health, and what a disease is? Can we make social wellness really apart from health?

WHO defined health in 1948, as follows: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, and this definition has never been amended so far. Not too shallow. But what does that really mean?

Without getting too philosophical, I would like to walk with you through some paradoxes of today’s welfare, to figure out how the system makes sense of them, and whether and how this sense making could be reframed to work on alternative solutions.

This session will feature a provocation from @markomanka followed by an (hopefully) embarrassingly interactive Q&A session. To up the game we will host some special guests:

  1. Julia Reda, the only Pirate MEP, to talk of transparency of software and care.
  2. @Luciascopelliti and/or @Rossana_Torri, to talk of prototyping community welfare dos and donts.
  3. @Costantino and/or @zoescope, to talk about DIY aids for care.

…but the true star of the session is you, everyone in the audience. Please break your diffidence and share with us your questions and comments, because care is very close to home, we know.

Photo credit: Zach Taiji on flickr.com

Date: 2016-02-26 15:30:00 - 2016-02-26 16:30:00, Europe/Brussels Time.

URL: https://edgeryders.eu/en/opencare/julia-reda-at-lote5-care-track#sthash.XV1CJ0GA.dpuf

2 Likes

Sounds marvelous but I’m confused

Just in terms of practical planning: is this part of the Open Care program?

1 Like

I am a bit confused myself…

…but that’s also what I like of this fluid organisation.

The reply to your question is “yes and no”. I would highly recommend that those involved in OpenCare join the conversation, but I thought my provocation as a general public challenge to rethinking what we believe is true and false about welfare…

…So, please abuse my proposal as you see fit, and map it where some time is available (1h?) :slight_smile:

1 Like

Ok so it’s an issue of planning

@alberto any preferences when you’d like to have this session so that the OpenCare crew can join?

Should we save it for Sunday?

OpenCare Files

I propose Friday afternoon, 16.30-17.30. See this reasoning.

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Yes I think so

Session falls under the “OpenCare files” part of the program…

Inside the Battle to define mental illness

A couple of years ago I came across an in depth article which lays bare some troubling answers to your questions in the domain of psychiatry. Maybe it could serve as a useful case study for discussion during your session? http://www.wired.com/2010/12/ff_dsmv/

Bring it up, please :slight_smile:

I had in mind a different set of examples, because I have the feeling people believe organic diseases are somewhat set, whilst mental health is more nuanced, and discussing the former has usually more impact on the conscience of my public… but I would definitely like to have a part of my time dedicated to an attack from the public, during which I am willing to answer any “dirty question” within my humble reach :slight_smile:

So, please, do your homework to make it tough!

attend

Hey, I’d like to attend the session!

Sounds super interesting and I believe it will be key for the user research on the OpenCare project

1 Like

special guest :slight_smile:

Hi Marco

I was wondering if it makes sense a brief intro about what happens now in Milan in the field of municipal welfare (failures, challenges, new perspectives, etc…)?

Does it make sense? Or maybe could we “fluidly” react to your presentation?

Ciao @rossana_torri.

Everyone should feel welcome to fluidly react during this session… both guests and public.

However, if you feel that Milan is doing something so radically different that it could be unheard of, and unimaginable for the parterre, please do arrange a very condensate pointer/presentation, so that we can all keep it within the radar :slight_smile:

See you soon,

Marco

Documentation uploaded

https://edgeryders.eu/en/lote5/documentation-open-care-files-welfare-through-the-looking-glass