[Discussion] HEALTH CLUBS AND THE NEW AESTHETICS OF HEALTH WAR - CALL FOR PAPERS AND INV ITATION FOR PARTICIPATION”

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

HEALTH CLUBS AND THE NEW AESTHETICS OF HEALTH WAR - CALL FOR PAPERS AND 
INVITATION FOR PARTICIPATION”
While more than half the world’s population is struggling for food and 
the basics of health, another significant portion of the world’s 
population is interested in anti-aging programs and refined diets. 
Concern for aesthetics is becoming more and more popular for millions of 
people. The new aesthetics of healthy looks are becoming the desired 
norm. People of all ages adhere to this “new religion”. Is this a kind 
of racism? What are the consequences of this movement? What are its 
historical roots and is this a lasting trend for humankind? How do 
ideals contrast with the experience of “ordinary” people? What can we 
say about the commercialization of aesthetics, beauty and health? 
Adherents of meditation groups, Yoga and Reiky. Are oriental techniques 
new age health fashions? This session proposes to make a critical 
assessment of the global situation as regards to health clubs and the 
new aesthetics of health, and to make projections for future 
developments. The session invites specific research as well as 
philosophical evaluations of this new trend. Social consequences of the 
collapse of buildings and other man-made accidents will also be 
examined. Please find updated information as regards the meeting at the 
IFSSH website http://www.ifssh.net.
The International Forum for Social Sciences and Health (IFSSH) welcomes 
applications from scholars, administrators, researchers, interested 
parties, international agencies, national and international research 
institutions and students for participation in the 2005 World Congress 
“HEALTH CHALLENGES OF THE THIRD MILLENNIUM”. The 2005 World Congress 
aims to realize a universal platform for reflections and forward-looking 
discussions in all important areas that fall under the health social 
science agenda. The world congress will host workshop sessions under the 
following themes: Accidents and disabilities; Adolescent health; 
Bioethics; Bioterror and weapons of mass destruction; Child health, 
development and child rights; Health consequences of war; Communicating 
health knowledge and behavior; Controversies of diet and nutrition; 
Developing economies, migration and emerging health issues; Ecohealth: 
climate change, health consequences of environmental deterioration and 
environmental policies; Ethnobotany and healing; Giving birth: new 
meanings, new statistics; Health and disease in world myths, scripts and 
literature; Health clubs and the new aesthetics of health; Health 
equity; Health social science research methodology; Health sector reform 
and health insurance; Health, medicine and colonialism; Human rights, 
HIV/AIDS and the new epidemics; Infectious diseases; Issues in rural 
health and disease; Life styles; Living with pain; Local traditions of 
healing and shamans; New challenges: smoking, addictions and eating 
disorders; Politics of pharmacueticals; Redefining old age; Reproductive 
health; Social history of health and disease; Social science education 
for health sciences; Sociology of dental health; Suicides and cross 
cultural issues in mental health; The economics of well being; The 
future of hospitals and patient care; The psychology of violence; 
Violence as a public health issue; and Social aspects and prevention of 
world blindness. Please find updated information as regards the meeting 
at the IFSSH website http://www.ifssh.net. We invite you to join this 
interdisciplinary gathering of the experiences and perspectives of 
social scientists and health specialists for a crucial assessment of the 
human condition at the onset of the new millennium.
Prof. Dr. Akile Gürsoy
IFSSH Secretary General
Head, Department of Anthropology
Yeditepe University
Congress Correspondence:
2005 IFSSH Congress Center
Department of Anthropology
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Yeditepe University
Kay?s,dag(?,34755 Istanbul TÜRKI.YE
Tel: (+ 90) 216-578 07 27)
Fax: (+ 90) 216-578 08 99)
E-mail: ifssh.2005@yeditepe.edu.tr
ifssh@ifssh.net
http://www.ifssh.net