Healthism and the Medicalization of Everyday Life
Abstract
This article considers some implications of the new health consciousness and movements—holistic health and self-care—for the definition of and solution to problems related to “health.” Healthism represents a particular way of viewing the health problem, and is characteristic of the new health consciousness and movements. It can best be understood as a form of medicalization, meaning that it still retains key medical notions. Like medicine, healthism situates the problem of health and disease at the level of the individual. Solutions are formulated at that level as well. To the extent that healthism shapes popular beliefs, we will continue to have a non-political, and therefore, ultimately ineffective conception and strategy of health promotion. Further, by elevating health to a super value, a metaphor for all that is good in life, healthism reinforces the privatization of the struggle for generalized well-being.
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The concept of healing has been broadened through many self-actualizers' engagement in the medicalization of everyday life.
“The concept of healing has been broadened through the propensity of many self-actualizers in order to engage in the”
From New Age Healing: Origins, Definitions, and Implications for Religion and Medicine (2022) · cites this paper as Crawford 1980
Within the neoliberal capitalist paradigm, which profits from this cultural shift towards 'healthism' (Crawford 1980; see also Bird, this issue), yoga offers both an opportunity for progress within and a means of escape from this system (Jain 2020).
“Within the neoliberal capitalist paradigm, which profits from this cultural shift towards 'healthism' (Crawford 1980; see also Bird, this issue), yoga offers both an opportunity for progress within and a means of escape from this system (Jain 2020).”
From Yoga bodies, yoga minds: contextualising the health discourses and practices of modern postural yoga (2021) · cites this paper as Crawford 1980
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- Authors
- Crawford, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Crawford, Robert
- ORCID
- Crawford, Robert
- Venue
- International Journal of Health Services
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1980-07
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 365-388
- ISSN
- 0020-7314 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-4469
- OpenAlex
- W1966622877
- Cited by
- 1,946
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 121 · 2025: 95 · 2024: 105 · 2023: 159 · 2022: 143 · 2021: 139 · 2020: 105 · 2019: 105 · 2018: 111 · 2017: 81 · 2016: 81 · 2015: 77 · 2014: 68 · 2013: 74 · 2012: 58
- FWCI
- 2.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Health Services (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DigitalGeorgetown (Georgetown University Library) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Medicine, History, and Philosophy
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health, Medicine and Society
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
- Keywords
- healthism, medicalization, health consciousness, holistic health, self-care, health promotion, individualism, health care privatization, well-being, health movement
- MeSH terms
- Attitude to Health, Holistic Health, Humans, Life Style, Self Care, Sociology, Medical
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