Critical Article reflection

Critical reflection
Name
University
Date
Critical reflection
Article 1
Thompson, L., Pearce, J., Barnett, J, (2007). Moralizing geographies: Stigma, smoking islands and responsible subjects, Area, 39(4): 508-517.
Statement of Argument
According to Thompson, Pearce & Barnett (2007) article, negative effects of health regarding continued smoking are more obvious and that smoking cessation is now a key concern of the attention of the government among developed countries. The outcome of smoking cessation is a mixed one-smoking rate among certain group who are socio-economically disadvantaged as well as the ethnic minority is still high.
This article raises some two ethical issues of concern. In regard to smoking context, for socio-economically and ethnic minority where smoking is particularly prominent, two concerns are highlighted by this article: the stigmatization of those who continue to smoke and that this habit is, just as other behaviors which may attributed for demoralization, is specifically prevalent among the disadvantaged groups, especially the people who belong to low income groups. Stigmatization may cause a poorer health results and huge health inequity just by causing a higher degree of stress as well as contributing to the absence of urge of seeking care. However, some argue that using stigma as a strategy of public health is itself inherently unethical since it is dehumanizing in relation to its use to shame and exert social control.
This article claims that the ever increasing stigmatization among those who continuously engage in smoking habit, together with the fact that there is spatial segregation of minority and poor group of people, may definitely compound to result in ‘smoking island' which may work to reinforce smoking instead of discouraging smoking. This article therefore adopt a deductive form of argument that is focused in examining compliance and resistance practices concerning ex-smokers and smokers of disadvantaged group to biopower of strategies.
Critical Analysis
On a critical analysis, there are over 1 billion smokers all over the world. Out of this world figure, half of the smokers are expected to face a premature death due to a disease related to smoking. Looking at this article, it is evident that tobacco death all over the world has been estimated to reach a figure as high as over 10 million every year by 2030 if people continue to smoke at the current rate and maintain the uptake.
The article shows an attempt to neutralize the estimated outcome, health protection agencies embarked on a campaign to discourage tobacco consumption which saw regulation put in place to warn and discourage smokers from smoking. For instance, World Health Organization stopped recruiting smokers plus other people who use tobacco. The governments of several countries have enacted legislations to curb smoking in outdoor and indoor public areas such as public parks, bars, shopping mall and beaches. They are also restricted smokers to smoke outside workplace. While there has been a decline in smoking rates among the western groups, the decline is undoubtedly not uniform among this population of the western. It both contributes and reflects to geographical health and growing social inequalities (Thompson et al, 2005).
Critically, the authors insinuate that there is a correlation between socio-economic status and smoking. There is a gap in the smoking habit among the middle income persons and the groups who are socio-economically disadvantaged as well as certain ethnic groups, for example the Maori of New Zealand, Torres Islanders of Australia and African-American of United states. The authors aware us of the conventional procedures of health promotion, anti-smoking campaigns included, might stimulate resistance instead of creating compliance on the individual`s part.
On my own analysis of the article, I feel convinced by this argument since it has been documented and published. Moreover, in recent time, literature in regard to smoking has revealed that anti-smoking policies normally compound the existing inequalities since they reinforce perception of deprivation in ever increasing economically polarized community. Smoking research is basically divided into methodological and epistemological inquiry. This article adopted quantitative analyses that are affiliated with medical geography which is positivistic. The author used various scholarly citations to back up the arguments in this research. I therefore feel convinced with the arguments and I have no criticism about how this research was conducted.
Article 2
Hubbard, G., Kidd, L., and Kearney, N, (2010). Disrupt to identi...