title: Social positioning by people with Alzheimer's disease in a support group.
abstract: People with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are often negatively positioned by others, resulting in difficulties upholding a positive sense of self. This might cause them to withdraw socially and apparently 'lose their minds'. Conversely, the sense of self can be strengthened with the support from others. This study aimed to describe, in accordance with positioning theory, how people with moderate AD positioned themselves and each other in a support group for people with AD. We describe five first-order positions; the project manager, the storyteller, the moral agent, the person burdened with AD, and the coping person. In the interactions that followed among the support group participants, those positions were mainly affirmed. This enabled participants to construct strong and agentic personae, and to have the severity of their illness acknowledged. Despite their language impairment participants managed to position and reposition themselves and others by assistance of the trained facilitator.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, SE 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Box 111 89, SE 100 61 Stockholm, Sweden; The Palliative Research Centre, Ersta Sköndal University College, Box 111 89, SE 100 61 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ragnhild.hedman@esh.se.
authors.forename: Ragnhild
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hedman
authors.affiliation: The Palliative Research Centre, Ersta Sköndal University College, Box 111 89, SE 100 61 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Linköping University, SE 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; CEDER, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, SE 581 83 Linköping, Sweden. Electronic address: ingrid.hellstrom@liu.se.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hellström
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, SE 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; The Palliative Research Centre, Ersta Sköndal University College, Box 111 89, SE 100 61 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: britt-marie.ternestedt@esh.se.
authors.forename: Britt-Marie
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ternestedt
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, SE 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal University College, Box 111 89, SE 100 61 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: gorel.hansebo@esh.se.
authors.forename: Görel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hansebo
authors.affiliation: The Palliative Research Centre, Ersta Sköndal University College, Box 111 89, SE 100 61 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Nursing, Umeå University, SE 901 87 Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: astrid.norberg@nurs.umu.se.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norberg
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012649:Self Concept; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Interaction; Personhood; Positioning; Self; Support group