The mundane ailment and the physical self: analysis of the social psychology of health and illness.
Using interview data from adult men and women who participated in an ongoing study of self-care, the research focused on the experience of mundane ailments as a promising topic for research in the social psychology of health and illness. Phenomenological analysis of respondents' accounts of everyday ailments generated concepts of 'the physical self', which expands interactive or dramaturgical concepts, and 'the health biography'. These concepts, when linked to analysis of interaction lead to a more dynamic sociology of health, illness, care and cure.
Olesen
V
V
Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Schatzman
L
L
Droes
N
N
Hatton
D
D
Chico
N
N
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012495:San Francisco; D012648:Self Care; D012649:Self Concept; D012803:Sick Role; D012962:Sociology, Medical