Gender, emotion, and physical distress: the Sicilian-Canadian "nerves" complex.
Researchers identify "nerves" as an idiom of distress, an illness category, a metaphorical device capable of communicating social distress, and a technique for impression management. Much of the literature, however, links "nerves" to women. In this paper, I address two aspects of the phenomenon which have received limited attention. First, I discuss "nerves" within the context of Sicilian-Canadian conceptions of anatomy and physiology. Sicilian-Canadians regard "nerves" as essential components of the human anatomy which, in some cases, may be linked to both physical and psychic distress. Second, I build on this discussion to examine how Sicilian-Canadian males make use of the "nerves" idiom. The implications of my work include the need to: (1) modify our definition of "nerves" to recognize formally that we are dealing with a dynamic complex consisting of multiple, variable, and ambiguous meanings--meanings that enable people to confront or cope with a variety of situations; (2) direct greater attention to "nerves" as an idiom of physical distress; and, (3) examine further the role of physical "nerves" in the social construction of gender.
Migliore
S
S
Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University College of Cape Breton, Sydney, Nova Scotia.
D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada / Q000208:ethnology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005008:Ethnopsychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D012802:Sicily; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D009626:Terminology as Topic