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Vad är problemet med barnfetma? En diskursiv policyanalys av barnfetma och jämlik hälsa

Linton, Julia LU (2017) STVM25 20162
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This thesis asks how childhood obesity is understood as a problem and how it relates to health equality. It aims to show how knowledge production and power is prevalent in policy and its impact on individuals and society. Using a post structural approach and discourse analysis two documents, one on a county and one on a national level, are analyzed. The analysis shows that childhood obesity discourses center around the family’s own responsibility to insure a healthy lifestyle with support from public health care and the school. Weight is seen as a measurement for how healthy a person is and obesity is represented as a problem of the future as it is a sign for illnesses to come. The relationship between obesity and health seems clear, yet... (More)
This thesis asks how childhood obesity is understood as a problem and how it relates to health equality. It aims to show how knowledge production and power is prevalent in policy and its impact on individuals and society. Using a post structural approach and discourse analysis two documents, one on a county and one on a national level, are analyzed. The analysis shows that childhood obesity discourses center around the family’s own responsibility to insure a healthy lifestyle with support from public health care and the school. Weight is seen as a measurement for how healthy a person is and obesity is represented as a problem of the future as it is a sign for illnesses to come. The relationship between obesity and health seems clear, yet the Council’s policy on obesity is not concerned with health inequalities. In contrast, the national report regarding health equality does not emphasize obesity; instead it focuses on societal inequalities like the labor market, housing and political influence as an avenue for decreasing the health gap. Thus, there is a discrepancy between the emphasis on society’s responsibility as opposed to the individual’s role in childhood obesity. A future challenge is bridging this gap. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Linton, Julia LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM25 20162
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
policy, problemrepresentation, bio-politik, barnfetma, jämlik hälsa
language
Swedish
id
8896892
date added to LUP
2017-02-08 16:10:26
date last changed
2017-02-08 16:10:26
@misc{8896892,
  abstract     = {{This thesis asks how childhood obesity is understood as a problem and how it relates to health equality. It aims to show how knowledge production and power is prevalent in policy and its impact on individuals and society. Using a post structural approach and discourse analysis two documents, one on a county and one on a national level, are analyzed. The analysis shows that childhood obesity discourses center around the family’s own responsibility to insure a healthy lifestyle with support from public health care and the school. Weight is seen as a measurement for how healthy a person is and obesity is represented as a problem of the future as it is a sign for illnesses to come. The relationship between obesity and health seems clear, yet the Council’s policy on obesity is not concerned with health inequalities. In contrast, the national report regarding health equality does not emphasize obesity; instead it focuses on societal inequalities like the labor market, housing and political influence as an avenue for decreasing the health gap. Thus, there is a discrepancy between the emphasis on society’s responsibility as opposed to the individual’s role in childhood obesity. A future challenge is bridging this gap.}},
  author       = {{Linton, Julia}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Vad är problemet med barnfetma? En diskursiv policyanalys av barnfetma och jämlik hälsa}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}