Culture and the Body; Health and the Body: analysis of a Sao Paulo newspaper section

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the concepts of human equilibrium and of quality of life having as source a weekly supplement of a newspaper published at the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Two large categories - and the subjective meanings that individuals establish with their bodies in material and symbolic points of view- were identified by the research project: body & health and body & culture. Conclusions indicated that actually concepts of human equilibrium and of quality of life have public and destination defined and that the newspaper acts as mirror of individual desires, capturing them and returning them as collective desires.