Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa New Zealand - new book Healthization: Turning Life into Health
In anthropologist Professor Susanna Trnka’s latest book, Healthization: Turning Life into Health she asks “what does it mean to be healthy? Is it a measure of physical illness, of a mental health condition, or of emotional control?” Professor Susanna Trnka’s work shows that—in twenty-first-century Aotearoa New Zealand—it is all of the above.
Being healthy in this country requires an investment of extensive work, resources, and time. Because, while it encompasses the above categories, for many young people in Aotearoa New Zealand, health also extends to having strong, trusted friendships—to feeling that one’s emotions are being recognised while recognising the emotions of others. Health for these youth may also consist of creating a daily space for mindfulness while maintaining productivity; working up the motivation to work out; quantifying and graphing nutrition stats; being able to talk openly about one’s mental health; and maybe even wearing the right lipstick.
These activities are particularly salient in Aotearoa New Zealand, where the past forty years have witnessed a growing emphasis on the importance of patient “self-responsibility” and where the state has invested heavily in health, even introducing a “wellbeing budget” that tracks the economy via wellbeing measures. All of these activities add up to a concept—and a worldview—that anthropologist Susanna Trnka conceptualises as 'healthization'.
For more on this book, view the following links: