Dept of Community Medicine, Örebro läns landsting AND School of Social Work, Gothenburg University

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to outline a theory for an upcoming study focusing on local (minicipal) haelth promotion offocers, their every day work and their motifs. By using organisation theory and a gender perspective the study hopes to uncover some agendas, strengts and differing concepts of rationality that add strength and may cause conflict within this discourse.

The paper will dicuss theories and concepts and present a theoretical framework for a qualitative study.

Swedish authorities have in a number of official documents focused on the important role for the municipalities within Health Promotion. Teh municiplaities have anwered to this by various strategies, one of which is to employ a health promotion officer. These are recruited from a number of professions. The content of their work seems to vary from traditional health imformation to radical community empowerment. Why do the faces of health promotion vary som much? What are the aims of the agents who work within this field? Where do they turn for information and for inspiration? What are their relationsships to management and to the political sphere? What input from research do they receive? The majority of the officers are women, most of them middle aged, whilst the majority of managers and politicians are male. Is there a gender conflict within haelth promotion, and does this weaken the case? Do we have a discource with incompatible ideas of rationality, rivalling for the best way to interpret events and set the agenda?

Keywords

Health promotion, Organisation, Gender

Contact

Swift-Johannison

Institution

Dept of Community Medicine, Örebro läns landsting AND School of Social Work, Gothenburg University

Postaddress

Huset, Box 1613

City

SE-701 13 Örebro

Country

Sweden

E-mail

anna.swift@orebroll.se

Phone

+ 46 19 15 21 57

Fax

+ 46 19 15 37 32