Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Lay theorizing about ‘the body’ and implications for health promotion

1996; Oxford University Press; Volume: 11; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/her/11.2.161

1465-3648

Jane Watson, Sarah Cunningham‐Burley, Nicholas Watson, Kathryn Milburn,

Obesity and Health Practices

The body is central to our understanding and experience of health, illness and disease. In recent years it has also been a site for control and change through lifestyle directives. However, health promotion has yet to embrace the concept of human embodiment and the implications that this might have for practice. This neglect mirrors what has, until recently, been a failure of sociology and anthropology to take the body seriously within its own theorizing. Whilst at a theoretical level this has changed, there is still little empirical work on the body. This paper reports on findings from three independent qualitative research projects conducted in Scotland: health and health promotion in the middle years (45–59); the health beliefs of men aged 30–40; and the health beliefs of people with physical disability. All studies involved in-depth interviews with analysis based on the grounded theory method. After presenting empirical findings on lay perceptions of the body as they relate to the notion of personal responsibility for health, the paper goes on to address implications for health promotion—theory and practice.