SOCIOLOGICAL COMMENT ON THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S DEFINITION OF HEALTH

Health is a part of social life. Since the time human being first appeared on the Earth, the perception of the meaning of the health has changed paralel with the perception of society. Health has been used in varying meanings such as being morally upright, phisical perfection, suffering phisically while obedience, having bath, being rich, having a smooth face, being healthy, not being the other/insane (as stated by Foucault) and interacting with other individuals. Following the enlightenment and industrialization, health was influenced as well by the fundamental changes affecting the world. Stating that health can no longer be defined with olden terms and concepts, World Health Organization (WHO) defined the term in a diferent perspective within the framework of these changes.