Young People and the Aesthetics of Health Promotion

Health promotion with young people has largely been framed by theories of behaviour change to target ‘unsafe’, ‘unhealthy’ and/or ‘risky’ behaviours. These theories and models seek to encourage the development in young people of reasoned, rational and risk-aware personal strategies. This book presents an innovative and critical perspective on young people and health promotion. It explores the limits and possibilities of traditional health behaviour change models with their focus on reason, risk and rationality by examining the embodied dimensions of meaning-making in health promotion programs. Drawing on an array of critical social theories and approaches to knowledge production the authors identify and engage the aesthetic and affective dimensions of young people’s engagement with issues such as road safety, sexualities, alcohol and drug use, and physical and mental health and well-being.The book will appeal to researchers and practitioners in the fields of health promotion and health education, public health, education, the sociology of health and illness, youth studies and youth work.

"Describing the experiences of a group of young people in Australia, this book presents different innovative perspectives on health promotion. It emphasises social theory, and offers an in-depth exploration of risk, rationality and reasoning...useful for postgraduates."- Reviewed by Toni Bewley, senior lecturer, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, Nursing Children and Young People, October 2016

Kerry Montero is Program Manager of the Bachelor of Social Science Youth Work program at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. With a background in generalist youth work, and adolescent health promotion, education and service delivery, her research and development focus over the past fifteen years has been in the field of young drivers and other young road user safety promotion, education and policy.Peter Kelly is Deputy Head of School (Research and Innovation) and Director, Centre for Education, Training and Work in the Asian Century, in the School of Education, RMIT University. He is a social theorist who has published extensively on young people, the practice of youth studies, social theory and globalisation. His books include, Working in Jamie’s Kitchen: Salvation, Passion and Young Workers (2009), Smashed! The Many Meanings of Intoxication and Drunkenness (2011), The Self as Enterprise: Foucault and the "Spirit" of Twenty-First Century Capitalism (2013), The Moral Geographies of Children, Young People and Food: Beyond Jamie’s School Dinners (2014), and A Critical Youth Studies for the Twenty-First Century (2015).