Reflection Papers
You will write a personal reflection papers the supplemental books, The Ghost Map. The reflection paper must be properly referenced and needs to answer specific questions. Each reflection paper should include a minimum of 4 pages of writing.
Questions:
In your paper, please address the following items:
1. Reflect upon the role of John Snow:
a. The profession of a physician was clearly a very different one in 1854 than it is now, particularly as John Snow practiced it. What do you see as the major differences?
b. What professions and fields in today’s world might be more similar to what John Snow did?
c. Why do you think John Snow and others who could presumably afford to live elsewhere chose to live in a city that apparently seemed to always be on the brink of collapse?
2. Reflect upon the role of Henry Whitehead:
a. Why do you think Whitehead was effective as a researcher?
b. Do you think his contribution to solving the mystery of cholera was equal to Snow’s or was he more like Snow’s “apprentice”?
c. How did Whitehead’s social status add weight to his influence over events?
3. The Ghost Map:
a. Briefly discuss how Snow used hypotheses, formulation of methods, and review (the scientific method) to develop his map.
b. What are several popular misconceptions about Snow’s actual map that are debunked by the book’s author?
c. Despite debunking the myths, the author still names his book after the map. Why?
4. Sustainability: In the latter part of the book, Johnson (the author) makes a case for urbanization as the most significant trend of the modern era. Johnson views this as a positive trend.
a. Do you agree with his positive assessment?
b. Does reading a story like that of The Ghost Mapmake you feel more or less positive about cities and urbanization?
c. What do you see as the role of developed societies in improving public health systems in the developing world?