> Thank you for such a informative posting Elizabeth,
>
> You mention "health promotion's implicit social justice agenda"  can you
> give me concrete examples of this agenda?
>
> I have always been interested in group's values and beliefs and have worked
> with many groups on these, often as things went on there were real
> questions about what the group's values and beliefs meant.  Then I had a
> chance to work with a group that not only developed their values and
> beliefs but went on to specify what it would mean in action.  So, we
> believe this, therefore we will do this.
>
> So if health promotion has an implicit social justice agenda how does it
> affect how it operates?
>
> Thanks,
>
> S
>
> Sherrie Tingley
> [log in to unmask]

A perfect question, Sherrie.  In fact health promotion doesn't have
an implicit 'social justice agenda', it (ie the group of people
claiming to promote health) has vaguely expressed, conflicting
political ideals.  Some health promoters favour some forms of social
justice (and there are many types of social justice of course),
some have quite different goals.  This continuing ambiguity causes
health promotion to be eclectic and focused on the short-term - a
survival strategy not a positive development plan.

I think Blake, for example, is quite wrong to wish to get whatever
funding is available on any terms - even someone else's.  It is time
for health promotion to state a) where it stands and b) what this
implies practically (in particular, health promoters must begin to be
able to say which practical ventures we will NOT engage in -
otherwise, where is health promotion ethics?).

Keep it coming


David

PS: Sherrie, please post for me if my posting to the List fails - as
it does about 30% of the time.