Abstract
This paper analyses public health measures promoting healthy eating and drinking implemented in Iceland in the early 2010s as a case study of policy developed according to local perceptions of health and cultural meanings attributed to the consumption of certain goods. It explores the ways in which public health experts incorporated social and political identities in their programmes to achieve compliance with the expected conduct. The appeal to the individual sense of responsibility not only for one’s body, but for the community as a whole is presented as a key rhetoric, while the focus on the younger generations is examined in relation to the need to safeguard the future of the nation. The paper hence discusses the recourse in health promotion messaging to powerful images of identification with a special people and the need (and the duty) to preserve the political and biological legacy of the Icelanders.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 148-168 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Social Identities |
Volume | 31 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 15 Dec 2024 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Open Access via the T&F AgreementKeywords
- identity
- public health
- health promotion
- Iceland
- nation
- individual responsibility