Duality in the Social Construction of Epilepsy; Dualiteit in de beeldvorming van epilepsie

Abstract

To investigate patterns in the description of epilepsy, interview data were obtained from 20 epilepsy patients ages 24-79 in the Netherlands. Patients tended to describe epilepsy as a normal phenomenon interfering with leading a normal life. However, when patients started to describe how the disease affected their interactions with others, the tone of discourse shifted toward viewing their disease as more of a pronounced abnormality. According to the patients, other people view epilepsy as an ambiguous & vague medical disease with no institutional status. This gap between patients' self-perception & their description of how others perceive them is a characteristic element in the construction of the patients' life histories. 38 References. Adapted from the source document. (Copyright 1992, Sociological Abstracts, Inc., all rights reserved.)