ls Health Education good for you? Re-thinking health education though the concept of bio-power

Abstract

This artic1e employs Foucault's concept of biopower to analyse health education. Bio-power refers to the management of biological life as a political event. The central argument is that health education represents a singular contribution to the exerci se of bio-power. Its involvement with prevention and health promotion, as well as its educational nature, enhance the set of power techniques that come into play in the management of individual and social bodies. Data from a study on health education policy and practices in the Brazilian national health system are presented to illustrate the analysis.