Reading Analysis: Introduction to Gender and Health

Throughout the readings it is evident that health is done in different ways by both men and women. Health is looked at as individual responsibility and is linked towards a person’s well-being and worth in society. It is also greatly determined by class, race, ability, and expertise. The term “healthism” on the other hand, has the ideas of what health is, and is defined as “the preoccupation with personal health as a primary focus for the definition and achievement of well-being; a goal which is to be attained… it is increasingly the individual’s responsibility to have and maintain the new view of health” (Penny Light, et al., p.10). This definition shows how health is an influential aspect within our lives.

Gender however, depicts masculinity or femininity and how they are signified, and how this concept is influenced by class, ethnicity, religion, and age. The concept of gender is important to understand because it also intertwines with our understanding of health. Both the topics of health and gender coincide with each other and help us to have a better understanding of various issues that are happening in particular eras of history.

 

Endnotes/Bibliography:

Penny Light, et al., “Introduction,” in Bodily Subjects: Essays on Gender and Health, 1800-2000, Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2015.

 

Reflection:

I chose to incorporate this reading analysis into my ePortfolio because it gives a brief bit of information about how gender and health intersect with one another. As I mentioned in my reading analysis, health is very gendered and depending on what gender one identifies themselves as, this may influence their health decisions.