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Social mapping: a potential teaching tool in public health
Soundappan Kathirvel1, Kathiresan Jeyashree, Binod Kumar Patro
1Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Medical Teacher
|March 29, 2012
Summary
Social mapping is a practical public health teaching tool. It helps healthcare providers understand communities and their practices, enhancing field knowledge and skills.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Education
- Spatial Cognition and Human Behavior
Background:
- Mapping is a core method for visualizing spatial cognition and summarizing information.
- Social mapping is a participatory rural appraisal technique.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the utility of social mapping as a public health educational instrument.
- To evaluate its effectiveness in diverse urban settings.
Main Methods:
- A resident doctor conducted social mapping in an urban resettlement colony.
- The community residents created segment-specific maps with the doctor's guidance.
Main Results:
- Social mapping fostered cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skill development.
- It enhanced understanding of the area's geography, population, culture, and social dynamics.
- Training included rapid appraisal, cartography, and data presentation skills.
Conclusions:
- Social mapping is a highly effective and practical teaching tool for public health.
- It is particularly valuable for healthcare professionals new to a practice area.
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