Moving Towards Health: Psychological and Social Determinants of Well-Being

How are the health of people and the environment interrelated? How do environmental factors and social systems impact well-being? This interdisciplinary program will explore the underlying unity and the unique cultural distinctness that can be found throughout our world’s diverse global narratives about the capacity of human beings to move between health and illness. The program, based on the fields of  health psychology, integrative health, and sociology, will focus on the study of prevention and wellness. The program will also provide a survey of the contemporary landscape of complementary and alternative health care modalities. Throughout the program, we will recognize the ways in which individual choices and collective action can help us create both personal health and a sustainable environment.

The program will explore systems of health and healing from multicultural health perspectives using sociological, neurobiological and ecopsychological lenses. We will explore the synergistic relationship between planetary and personal well-being. We'll also explore interdisciplinary ways of promoting health, including health care practices, the use of food as medicine, and engagement with social issues. We’ll study the social determinants of mental health to better understand the ways in which systemic factors, related to inequality and access to resources, impact people’s psychological well-being. Further, we’ll uncover histories of alternative health care modalities in the U.S. and globally.

Students will have an opportunity to learn in many ways in diverse modalities, including working with multiple intelligences and mindfulness practices. We will integrate somatic learning into our studies, including movement,qigong(a Chinese system of physical exercises and breathing control), yoga, and expressive arts workshops. Our inquiry will ask us to attune ourselves to the wisdom that is available and present in our mind-body awareness. We will participate in community readings, rigorous writing assignments, and critical study of important texts.

This program incorporates Greener Foundations. Greener Foundations is Evergreen’s in-person 2-quarter introductory student success course, which provides all first-year students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive at Evergreen. First-year students who register for 14 credits in this program will be placed into Greener Foundations for an additional 2 credits, totaling 16 credits. Once first-year students have been placed into Greener Foundations, they will receive an email confirming their registration status.