Abstract
In the development of health promotion theory to date insufficient attention has been paid to the question ‘What is the end to which health promotion is directed?’ A distinction can be made between purpose (end) and process (means to end) and if no clear account of purpose exists to illuminate how process contributions relate to its achievement, then health promotion's claim to be a practical discipline is weak. Although ‘well-being’ is frequently cited as the essence of health promotion, a view of ‘well-being’ which goes much beyond the intuitive has yet to emerge. Retention of ‘well-being’ as purpose requires a specific account which allows health promotion's claim to practicality to be clearly demonstrated. In discussing the form such an account would need to take, purely hedonistic conceptions of ‘well-being’ are discounted and the development of an ‘objective’ account, in which ‘capacity for self direction’ would form the key focus, is suggested.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Noack, H. (1985). Concepts of health and health promotion. In,Measurement in Health Promotion and Protection, WHO, Regional Office for Europe and International Epidemiological Association.
Nutbeam, D. (1985).Health Planning Glossary, WHO, Regional Office for Europe.
World Health Organization. (1946).Constitution, WHO, Geneva.
Seedhouse, D. F. (1986).Health: The Foundations for Achievement, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester.
Ashton, J. and Seymour, H. (1988).The New Public Health, Open University Press, Milton Keynes.
Kickbush, I. (1989),Good Planets are Hard to Find, WHO, Regional Office for Europe.
Downie, R. S., Fyfe, C. and Tannahill, A. (1990).Health Promotion Models and Values, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Nordenfelt, L. (1987).On the Nature of Health. An Action-Theoretic Approach, D. Reidel, Dordrecht.
Sen, A. (1982).Choice, Welfare and Measurement, Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
Griffin, J. (1986).Well-being, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Buchanan, I. The purpose—process gap in purpose and process. Health Care Anal 2, 31–35 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02251333
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02251333