Health promotion with young people has largely been framed by theories of behaviour change to target 'unsafe', 'unhealthy' and/or 'risky' behaviours. These theories and models seek to encourage the development in young people of reasoned, rational and risk-aware personal strategies. This book presents an innovative and critical perspective on young people and health promotion. It explores the limits and possibilities of traditional health behaviour change models with their focus on reason, risk and rationality by examining the embodied dimensions of meaning-making in health promotion programs. Drawing on an array of critical social theories and approaches to knowledge production the authors identify and engage the aesthetic and affective dimensions of young people's engagement with issues such as road safety, sexualities, alcohol and drug use, and physical and mental health and well-being.The book will appeal to researchers and practitioners in the fields of health promotion and health education, public health, education, the sociology of health and illness, youth studies and youth work.

Prelude Introduction 1. School Based Health Promotion as a Complex Assemblage 2. Rationality and Risk: Limits and Possibilities 3. Engaging Emotions, Exploring Values, Mobilising Rationality 4. 'Do, Then Talk': Young People, Group Work and the Making of Meaning 5. 'What Happened Was This...': What Roles Do Stories Have in Health Promotion 6. A Greek Tragedy: Chaos and Control 7. Young People as Choosing Agents? Conclusion