title: The presentation of competence in health care.
abstract: This paper briefly addresses the views of social reality which underpin our interpretation of data, and argues that a social actor's statement is one account in a potentially infinite series, in which the actor presents him or herself as morally competent. This argument is illustrated by data from a study of subfertile couples, and other data from studies of parenting handicapped children. There is, however, a disjunction between these calm measured self-presentations, and the professional literature which describes a host of negative emotions. This raises questions about how needs, particularly emotional needs, are defined in health care.
authors.affiliation: South Bank Polytechnic, Department of Community Health and Nursing Studies, London, England.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meerabeau
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000523:psychology*; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009014:Morals; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior