Citation

Pound P, Campbell R. Social determinants of child health and wellbeing 2015; 24(1): 64-80.

Affiliation

School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol , Canynge Hall, 39 Whatley Road, Bristol BS8 2PS , UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Flinders University)

DOI

10.1080/14461242.2015.1008537

PMID

25999784

PMCID

PMC4409085

Abstract

Sociological theories seldom inform public health interventions at the community level. The reasons for this are unclear but may include difficulties in finding, understanding or operationalising theories. We conducted a study to explore the feasibility of locating sociological theories within a specific field of public health, adolescent risk-taking, and to consider their potential for practical application. We identified a range of sociological theories. These explained risk-taking: (i) as being due to lack of social integration; (ii) as a consequence of isolation from mainstream society; (iii) as a rite of passage; (iv) as a response to social constraints; (v) as resistance; (vi) as an aspect of adolescent development; (vii) by the theory of the 'habitus'; (viii) by situated rationality and social action theories; and (ix) as social practice. We consider these theories in terms of their potential to inform public health interventions for young people.

Language: en