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Public health, private body
1National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra. Dorothy.Broom@anu.edu.au
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
|April 12, 2001
Summary
Public health research and practice largely ignore the body and embodiment. Greater self-consciousness about embodiment can significantly improve public health thinking and action.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Philosophy
Background:
- Recent epistemological shifts highlight the body and embodiment in social sciences and humanities.
- Public health discourse largely excludes explicit consideration of the body and embodiment.
- Existing notions of the body in public health are often implicit, ambiguous, and contradictory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To make explicit implicit ideas about embodiment in public health.
- To explore reasons for the exclusion of embodiment from public health discourse.
- To examine consequences of this exclusion for public health research and practice.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis and critical discussion.
- Examination of epistemological shifts in related disciplines.
- Speculation on the exclusion of embodiment in public health.
Main Results:
- Public health's silence on embodiment leads to incoherent theoretical frameworks.
- Exclusion of embodiment impacts the relevance and effectiveness of public health interventions.
- Greater attention to embodiment can reveal new avenues for public health research and practice.
Conclusions:
- Explicitly addressing embodiment is crucial for advancing public health.
- Integrating insights on embodiment can lead to more robust and equitable public health strategies.
- Increased self-consciousness regarding embodiment can transform public health thinking and action.