Undermine Sufferers’ Testimonies to Avoid Social Impacts of Pain

Abstract

Pain is a subjective experience that is mediated by the social structure and by the contextual aspects of people in pain. From the point of view of those affected, a sociological analysis has been carried out of why society doubts pain and the impact that the lack of credibility has on people in pain. Qualitative methodology is used. In total, 19 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with men and women in pain. Research has shown that pain produces discredit in all dimensions of individual’s social life, from the most intimate to that related to healthcare and production. The lack of credibility takes the form of epistemic injustice, being a reaction produced from the social structure to avoid the impacts that pain could produce on the social system. Epistemic injustice affects anyone in pain, but the form it takes will be related to sufferer’s circumstances. Studying this topic is important because it shows the rigidity of expert systems to deal with some old and new situations related to pain. It also shows the frequent lack of fit between the systems and the sufferers. Finally, the article shows that to deal unfairly with the testimony of people in pain has negative consequences on the treatment of pain. A better understanding of these issues could improve the sufferers’ living conditions.