The imperative of health : public health and the regulated body

"Overall, this is a fine scholarly work that brings together some very interesting and thought-provoking analyses. The book's strengths, namely its scholarly approach and critical thinking, well serve its audience of academics and students." --Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal "Deborah Lupton's complex treatise seeks to demonstrate that public health viewpoints and practices are value laden, political and socially subjective, and change over time and location. [This volume] is a good history of public health developments, primarily in Australia and England, and is a continuation of debate among health education professionals over the status of any and all health education 'truths.'. . . Lupton succeeds in her stated goal to 'problematize the taken-for-granted nature of health promotion discourses.'" --Choice In a scintillating reappraisal of public health and health promotion in contemporary societies, author Deborah Lupton shows that health cannot be understood simply as the presence or absence of disease but represents a moral imperative that is embedded in social and cultural norms and expressed in public policies. The Imperative of Health explores the areas of public health and health promotion using contemporary sociocultural and political theory and builds on Foucault's writings on subjectivity, embodiment, and power relations. Lupton analyzes the implications of the new social theories for the study of health promotion and health communication, combining sociological, anthropological, historical, and cultural studies approaches to analyze the subjective nature of public health practices, and exploring their underlying meanings and assumptions. Academics in public health, mass communication, medical sociology, and cultural studies will find this exploration concise, readable, and enlightening.

In this reappraisal of public health and health promotion in contemporary societies, Deborah Lupton explores public health and health promotion using contemporary sociocultural and political theory, particularly that building on Foucault's writings on subjectivity, embodiment and power relations. The author examines the implications of the new social theories for the study of health promotion and health communication to analyze the symbolic nature of public health practices, and explores their underlying meanings and assumptions.

Bernard J. Turnock

This book reviews the history of the development of public health practice, specifically in the area of health promotion, and challenges many of its underlying assumptions and principles. The book explicitly seeks to undermine current beliefs and practices in health promotion to stimulate greater critical review and analysis of approaches in this important aspect of public health practice. The book is definitely geared toward academics and students in the field. Its critical and provocative analyses would also benefit practitioners and policy makers, although these audiences will find the academic writing style somewhat laborious. The book has virtually no other notable features. The references are excellent in terms of quantity and quality. The book has both a hard and soft cover version. This is a fine scholarly work that brings together some very interesting and thought-provoking analyses. The book's strengths, namely its scholarly approach and critical thinking, well serves its audience of academics and students. Yet, despite its value in these areas, it is not likely to influence other audiences. Although an essential book for university health science libraries, it would not be so highly valued in other health libraries.

Using socio-cultural and political theory, the author analyses the implications of the new social theories for the study of health promotion and communication. Combining sociological, anthropological, historical and cultural studies approaches, she analyses the symbolic nature of public health practices and explores their underlying meanings and assumptions. Key topics include: 1. The history and emergence of the public health movement. 2. Contemporary health promotion and public health strategies. 3. Risk discourse and diagnostic testing. 4. The use of the mass media and advertising in health promotion. 5. Bodies, pleasures and the practices of self in response to health promotion Governing The Masses : The Emergence Of The Public Health Movement -- Technologies Of Health : Contemporary Health Promotion And Public Health -- Taming Uncertainty : Risk Discourse And Diagnostic Testing -- Communicating Health : The Mass Media And Advertising In Health Promotion -- Bodies, Pleasures And The Practices Of The Self. Deborah Lupton. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [162]-175) And Index. `A good history of public health developments, primarily in Australia and England, the book is a continuation of debate among health education profession over the status of any or all health education ""truths""' - Choice