A Humanistic Approach to Health Promotion

This book presents a distinct, ethically robust framework for improving population health when the major causes of disease, death and disability are closely associated with human behaviors. Rather than relying on a scientific, technological strategy aimed at developing ever more powerful and effective techniques for changing behaviors, a humanistic approach recognizes the unique human capacity for dignity and moral decision-making. As an essential alternative to the scientific assumption of determinism, a humanistic framework is based on the equally viable assumption that human beings have the capacity to exercise autonomy in pursuing their life plans. If people can choose how they want to live their lives, then it is imperative to respect and cultivate their autonomy in making health-promoting decisions. A scientific approach is unsurpassed at identifying effective means for stopping and killing bacteria; the same methods are not appropriate, however, when the objective is to alter human behavior.In a humanistic framework, it is important to acknowledge that autonomous choices are not completely unrestrained—the human condition has significant physical and social limitations—and that certain readily-identifiable social groups face much greater constraints than others, most significantly due to poverty and racism. As explained and justified in this book, the most important task for health promotion is to promote autonomy, and to do this by redressing the hugely disparate yet corrigible barriers faced by people occupying distinct social positions. This project is a matter of social justice—not a scientific and technological problem to be solved, but a moral and political endeavor to engage fellow citizens—in strengthening our social institutions to enable everyone to realize their innate capacities to the fullest extent possible. The book provides ethical standards, case studies and concrete practical analogies to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of moving the field of health promotion in a new humanistic direction.