An "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast cancer

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dc.contributor.advisorSwartz, Leslieen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBerger, Shirleyen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-10-11T12:17:33Z
dc.date.available2014-10-11T12:17:33Z
dc.date.issued1990en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: leaves i-ix.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis study explores the illness experiences of five women with breast cancer. The literature on psychosocial aspects of breast cancer among women is reviewed and limitations noted. A medical anthropological approach to the study of illness and health care is outlined. The importance of investigating women's own accounts and of recognising the social experience of illness and the dynamic nature of responses and understandings is asserted. Two interviews with each woman took place soon after medical diagnosis and follow-up interviews were conducted eight months later with four of the women. Concepts and insights from hermeneutically-oriented medical anthropology have been applied to the interview material. Arthur Kleinman's framework for interpreting 'illness narratives' is used to elucidate the layers of meaning in each woman's story. These include: the meaning of the symptoms, explanations of the disease, the cultural salience of cancer and the significance of the illness within personal and social contexts. The way in which the illness is understood, expressed and managed within the patterns of daily living is discussed. Contact with the professional health care system is one aspect of this process. The study suggests that this approach to understanding women's experiences of breast cancer is both theoretically valuable and clinically applicable.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBerger, S. (1990). <i>An "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast cancer</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8394en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBerger, Shirley. <i>"An "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast cancer."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8394en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBerger, S. 1990. An "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast cancer. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Berger, Shirley AB - This study explores the illness experiences of five women with breast cancer. The literature on psychosocial aspects of breast cancer among women is reviewed and limitations noted. A medical anthropological approach to the study of illness and health care is outlined. The importance of investigating women's own accounts and of recognising the social experience of illness and the dynamic nature of responses and understandings is asserted. Two interviews with each woman took place soon after medical diagnosis and follow-up interviews were conducted eight months later with four of the women. Concepts and insights from hermeneutically-oriented medical anthropology have been applied to the interview material. Arthur Kleinman's framework for interpreting 'illness narratives' is used to elucidate the layers of meaning in each woman's story. These include: the meaning of the symptoms, explanations of the disease, the cultural salience of cancer and the significance of the illness within personal and social contexts. The way in which the illness is understood, expressed and managed within the patterns of daily living is discussed. Contact with the professional health care system is one aspect of this process. The study suggests that this approach to understanding women's experiences of breast cancer is both theoretically valuable and clinically applicable. DA - 1990 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1990 T1 - An "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast cancer TI - An "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast cancer UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8394 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/8394
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBerger S. An "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast cancer. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 1990 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/8394en_ZA
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherClinical Psychologyen_ZA
dc.titleAn "inside story" : the illness experience of women with breast canceren_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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