James Cook and Christopher Columbus as Pedagogical Cousins: An Exploration of Modern Academic Discourses in the Health Professions

Much research exists in relation to academic and professional practice in healthcare. The way in which this research is implemented in treatment delivery, and more importantly, how it is experienced by the treatment seeker has been a burgeoning area of study. However, historical narratives that underpin discourse in healthcare lack deeper consideration in the context of health disparities and the effects of ethnic and racial discrimination. This chapter uses the historical and political similarities between the United States of America (USA) and the Commonwealth of Australia, to advance the discourse on health disparitiesHealth disparities, socioeconomic status (SES), and determinants of wellbeing. It is posited that to advance this discourse, we must adopt angles that include historical, epidemiological, organizational, cultural, and institutional lenses, as well as views from the lived experience. Recommendations are provided for a way to counteract problematic positioning by using these pedagogical lenses of personal and professional insight and transformation.