Against Health

Building on the 2006 Against Health conference, this collection of essays reexamines the definition of "health," particularly as a mechanism for moral judgment. Experts in anthropology, bioethics, women's studies, law, and literature examine the influences of business, politics, globalization, and science on health in the United States. Contributors explain how changing definitions of health may lead to the stigmatization of people who fall outside of the ideal and how these views influence their individual freedoms. Others examine how the pressure to market pharmaceuticals can lead to overemphasizing disease symptoms to justify the need for new medications. A particularly interesting piece explores how an increased emphasis on evidence-based research may remove health care from those who need it the most. A final essay tackles how society's fear of pain may lead to unfortunate decisions for the terminally ill or for those with disabilities.