What Is Wellness Now?

Abstract

Wellness as Buzzword Wellness is a popular buzzword these days. One finds wellness programs, wellness centers, wellness contests, wellness conferences, wellness journals, wellness administrators, wellness awards, wellness tourism, and even a Wellness brand cat and dog food (complete with its own blog and website asking, ''What is true wellness?''). Like ''intersectionality'' in feminist scholarship (Davis 2008), the rise of ''diversity'' over affirmative action (Kelly and Dobbin 1998; Edelman, Fuller, and Mara-Drita 2001), ''sustainability'' in approaches to the natural world and its use and development (Scoones 2007), and ''sexual health'' in place of panic over sexually transmitted infections (Epstein and Mamo 2011), the hegemony of the buzzword wellness signals its usefulness for framing consensus in contemporary American society. That consensus is that health is more than just the absence of disease, that health promotion and prevention of disease should be a top governmental and personal priority, and that each individual can and should strive to achieve a state of optimal functioning. But in

Why punishment pleases: Punitive feelings in a world of hostile solidarity

“…Moreover, it also suggests that the punitive logic can be reproduced in wider contexts, often for political and socio-economic purposes. Indeed, manifestations of punitive discourses and attitudes can be seen in many other institutional settings in contemporary societies, including migration and borders (Aas and Bosworth, 2013; Kaufman, 2015), education (Lyons and Drew, 2009) and even health and well-being (Kirkland, 2014).…”

Wellness as a Worldwide Phenomenon?

“…Are wellness programs and prevention programs different? As others have noted in this special issue (Kirkland 2014b), they are indeed different. But the lines are not as clear-cut in Germany.…”

Health, Wellness and Wellbeing

“…An introduction to wellness by Professor Anna Kirkland of the University of Michigan explores more deeply the concept. Her article establishes, similar to the Oxford definitions, that wellness is not the management of a current condition, but that wellness is a set of comprehensive, and individual-level choices made well before the occurrence of any such health condition (Kirkland, 2014). Clearly stated: someone who is satisfying wellness is living well and is working towards the prevention of their own disease and disability.…”