Social Construction of Health Questions

Health may seem like a scientific term that can be easily analyzed objectively. However, the concept of health, as a social construction, questions this assumption. People experience health at various physiological, psychological and emotional levels. What people consider healthy depends upon a definition that can vary from person to person, depending on individual values.

Feeling Healthy

• Some people may consider simply feeling healthy the most important feature of good health. These people define a non-healthy state through feelings of pain or weakness. Feelings of general fatigue or muscle and backaches may also cause some people to consider themselves unhealthy. Some individuals believe that feeling healthy includes the ability to adapt to an aging body's changes. Many also measure health by comparing themselves to their friends and acquaintances.

Disease

• People oftentimes define health as being free from disease. This may be especially true for those who have frequently or recently faced problems due to a disease or disorder. These people may define the state of their health in relation to that particular disease or syndrome.

Stress

• Stress level may be another indicator that a person may use to gauge his health. Stress may be caused by a variety of factors, including employment and family. Those in an especially stressful career, such as law, may decide to change professions due to health reasons. Family duties and concerns may also cause stress, such as a mother's constant worry about her children. Although stress is not a disease or sickness, too much of it can impact one's health negatively.

Spirituality

• Spirituality may play an important role in one's perception of a healthy state. Achieving a sense of spiritual and mental peace is integral to many people's definition of being healthy. Much of this has to do with a feeling of control over one's life. Those who have experienced physical, mental or sexual trauma may find that spirituality is an especially important coping mechanism.

Physical Fitness

• Physical fitness and the ability to perform daily tasks is the most common and visible component to people's idea of a healthy state. Some strongly identify health with full function and range of musculature and limbs. Lack of mobility is a common reason for a person to consider herself unhealthy. Some may measure health by their ability to do specific activities, such as gardening and walking.