New Health Consciousness in Policy and Everyday Life: Origins, Main Directions for Problematization

Abstract

The article provides an analysis of new health consciousness, particularly in relation to "healthism". This includes a review of the origins of this phenomenon and an examination of the key directions for its problematization. "New health consciousness" can be observed in the increased significance of self-preservation in the public discourse and the shift of liability from public health services to that of the individual. "Healthism", on the other hand, relates to the tendency towards moralizing a healthy lifestyle and warning of the negative consequences for those who do not follow the model of the healthy citizen. The emergence of these phenomena at the end the 20th century is a result of a complex interplay between social, political and economic factors. The key directions in the study of new health consciousness are outlined as the analysis of cultural beliefs surrounding a heal-thy lifestyle, its politicization and commercialization, regulatory implications, the ideological foundations of healthism and the gender aspect of the phenomena. The topicality of these issues in sociological research underlines the significance of sociological expertise in public health policy and health promotion.