Running...backwards but running. That's how it feels, or something like that. I would have liked to have finished or submitted my paper already. But an infection got in the way and then I stumbled into it, right into the middle of a motivational hole. What I really miss is the relaxed exchange with fellow students. At APOLLON, that always worked out well and you could just get in touch with others. At HKR, that's super difficult. You only see the students who are currently in your course on your course mailing list. And it's hard to keep up a real conversation. There is no contact at all with higher semesters. Isolation takes on a whole new meaning. Whereas studying at APOLLON was rarely lonely, it is even more so now. And when exams, like the discussion, go the way they did, it's doubly frustrating. But I don't want to just complain now. I've resolved to do my best at least this semester and see if it fits, and that's what I'll probably do.
 
I still have to hand in my final exam, a so-called Individual Take at Home Exam, by Wednesday. 23:59 should actually be doable. As I've already written, it's about applying the concepts learned in the module to a topic of your own choice and analysing and critically examining the subject matter. But if you think it's straight forward like theory -> example -> transfer, as you might know from working with study books, it's not that easy.

The complete compulsory reading was discussed in the groups more or less on the basis of the assignments. It was important to work out approaches, concepts and theories for oneself and to apply them to certain aspects. This applied to the two books by Foucault and Turner as well as the six compulsory articles. So there is no PowerPoint or manual that simply lists the theories of integrative health sciences for me and then applies them to a new situation. Basically, however, that's what I really enjoy. I can set my own priorities and discuss and analyse topics that interest me, captivate me or present me with a challenge. But I also have to say that my studies and APOLLON's approach really benefit me here. Developing questions independently, emphasising relevance, picking out theories and concepts that contribute to the subject matter, discussing them critically has become more and more of a habit after more than 30 case assignments, HA, GP, PB and Thesis. 
 
It took me a while to get comfortable with the topic, but I think I have it now. It's going to be a Critical Review that looks at the "neglect and health inequalities of people with severe multiple disabilities in health promotion approaches". What really gave me a headache at first was how I could include Foucault in particular to shed light on this. But after I had rounded the topic so far, it became clear that the medical gaze has a special significance here. It was actually much easier here to use Turner, who can serve very well as a basis for the understanding of the term disability, if one derives it from the understanding of disease. It is also interesting that somehow all the articles fit perfectly into the topic and that the additional literature I chose fits together like clockwork with the course literature, which mainly deals with other topics.

I always find it exciting how seemingly completely unrelated scientific facts and theories can be used to explain other phenomena or challenges, develop a different understanding or contribute to a holistic (integrative) view. Man, and as unmotivated as I was at the beginning of the blog, my eyes are already shining again. I think a love-hate relationship has really developed between the study setting and the study content. Do you know what it's like to throw everything away because of organisational aspects, but just keep going because you're totally into the content and it's your "thing"?

So I will continue now. The next contribution will be an overall evaluation of the module.