THanks to Sherrie and Joanne for providing excellent (if depressing)
example in which to ground some of our discussion re the politics of hp.

One further thought: sometimes it doesn't pay to be too explicit about our
underlying values and theories (at least publicly) in the current political
climate... to get (or hang onto) funding requires pandering to whatever
simple-minded fads are currently in vogue at Queens' Park. In other words,
the use of vague and appealing buzz-words is perhaps more often astutely
strategic than it is misguided.  It's not always easy to determine, as a
reviewer, who's using the lingo in order to secure funding to more
sophisticated and radical work, and who is using it more sloppily with
little else in mind. (David you may not think vagueness for political
reasons makes long-term sense, but sometimes short-run survival takes
precedence). My point is that apparent vagueness in health promotion may
(at least in some cases) have reasons for being that way that have to do
with the climate we operate in, and not just the conceptual adequacy of the
field.

blake