{"title":"Habits and the socioeconomic patterning of health-related behaviour: a pragmatist perspective","authors":"Anu Katainen, Antti Gronow","doi":"10.1057/s41285-023-00198-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Unhealthy behaviours are more prevalent in lower than in higher socioeconomic groups. Sociological attempts to explain the socioeconomic patterning of health-related behaviour typically draw on practice theories, as well as on the concept of lifestyles. When accounting for “sticky” habits and social structures, studies often ignore individuals’ capacity for reflection. The opposite is also true: research on individual-level factors has difficulty with the social determinants of behaviour. We argue that the pragmatist concept of habit is not only a precursor to practice theories but also offers a dynamic and action-oriented understanding of the mechanisms that “recruit” individuals to health-related practices. In pragmatism, habits are not merely repetitive behaviours, but creative solutions to problems confronted in everyday life and reflect individuals’ relationships to the material and social world around them. Ideally, the pragmatist conception of habits lays the theoretical ground for efficient prevention of and effective support for behaviour change.","PeriodicalId":46551,"journal":{"name":"Social Theory & Health","volume":"32 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Social Theory & Health","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1057/s41285-023-00198-8","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"SOCIAL SCIENCES, BIOMEDICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract Unhealthy behaviours are more prevalent in lower than in higher socioeconomic groups. Sociological attempts to explain the socioeconomic patterning of health-related behaviour typically draw on practice theories, as well as on the concept of lifestyles. When accounting for “sticky” habits and social structures, studies often ignore individuals’ capacity for reflection. The opposite is also true: research on individual-level factors has difficulty with the social determinants of behaviour. We argue that the pragmatist concept of habit is not only a precursor to practice theories but also offers a dynamic and action-oriented understanding of the mechanisms that “recruit” individuals to health-related practices. In pragmatism, habits are not merely repetitive behaviours, but creative solutions to problems confronted in everyday life and reflect individuals’ relationships to the material and social world around them. Ideally, the pragmatist conception of habits lays the theoretical ground for efficient prevention of and effective support for behaviour change.
期刊介绍:
Social Theory & Health provides an international scholarly forum for theoretical reflection and debate on contemporary health issues, many of which bear directly on the planning and delivery of services. The journal aims to consolidate, refine and extend theoretically informed work on the role of health in modern societies. Interest in issues of theory and health now informs many academic and practice-oriented disciplines and crosses discipline boundaries. The Editors encourage contributions from all relevant disciplines, as well as from those involved directly in front-line treatment and care. Contributions from the developing world are particularly welcome. The journal aims to include contributions from all theoretical perspectives.