title: The moral experience of illness and its impact on normalisation: Examples from narratives with Punjabi women living with rheumatoid arthritis in the UK.
abstract: The moral component of living with illness has been neglected in analyses of long-term illness experiences. This article attempts to fill this gap by exploring the role of the moral experience of illness in mediating the ability of those living with a long-term condition (LTC) to normalise. This is explored through an empirical study of women of Punjabi origin living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the UK. Sixteen informants were recruited through three hospitals in UK cities and interviews conducted and analysed using a grounded theory approach. The intersection between moral experience and normalisation, within the broader context of ethnic, gender and socioeconomic influences, was evident in the following: disruption of a core lived value (the centrality of family duty), beliefs about illness causation affecting informants' 'moral career', and perceived discrimination in the workplace. The data illustrate the importance of considering an ethnic community's specific values and beliefs when understanding differences in adapting to LTCs and changing identities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Durham University, UK.
authors.forename: Tessa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanderson
authors.affiliation: School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calnan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Kanta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000208:ethnology*; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012923:Social Class; D012962:Sociology, Medical; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: ethnicity; moral experience; normality; rheumatoid arthritis; stigma