Premium
Living in a Clinic: The Power of Public Health Promotions
Author(s) -
Metcalfe Andrew
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
the australian journal of anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.245
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1757-6547
pISSN - 1035-8811
DOI - 10.1111/j.1835-9310.1993.tb00166.x
Subject(s) - seriousness , methodism , politics , context (archaeology) , power (physics) , public health , spiritual health , order (exchange) , promotion (chess) , sociology , history , environmental ethics , political science , law , medicine , religious studies , nursing , philosophy , archaeology , business , clinical psychology , physics , finance , quantum mechanics
Drawing on an anthropological study of the Cessnock area of New South Wales, this paper considers the politics of recent health promotion campaigns in Australia, placing the new ‘healthist’ discourse in its historical context. Whereas Cessnock people were once said to be bestial, or childish, or sick, they are now said to be fat. Whereas Methodism was once prescribed as the solution, doctors now order a rational and maximising attitude to life. It is argued that the undoubted seriousness of Cessnock's health ‘problem’ and the undoubted good will of the health promoters do not remove the danger of cultural imperialism.