Book Synopsis
Dr Joan Rawlins was born in Westmoreland, Jamaica, and spent her early years in Savanna- la-Mar, where she attended Manning’s High School. At age fourteen, she migrated to the United Kingdom with her parents. On completion of High School in the UK, she embarked on a brief, but empowering education in the field of “health”, graduating as a registered nurse (SRN), a qualified Midwife (SCM) and as a Health Visitor (Public Health Nurse) in five years. Following her nursing education, she married and returned to the Caribbean, where she attended the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, obtaining the BSc. and MSc. degrees in Social Sciences.
She later went on to achieve a doctorate in Development Studies (Ageing, Gender and Health) from the International Institute of Social Studies, in the Netherlands, and became a Senior Lecturer in the Unit of Public Health and Primary Care, Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Trinidad, until her retirement in 2012.
Among her many achievements, Dr. Rawlins has written several books and has contributed numerous articles to the scientific literature. Her research and writing on ‘issues of aging’ make her a much sought after voice on matters of aging in the region. She is married to Dr. Samuel Rawlins and is mother of three children and six grandchildren.