Accounts of health and illness: Dilemmas and representations

TLDR

Such beliefs are neither expressions of fixed inner attitudes nor evidence for shared social representations. The paper argues that views of health and illness are best understood as accounts given to others, emphasizing that health talk is both ideological and dilemmatic and that individuals must give an account of their health in particular. The article reviews the distinction between private and public accounts and discusses the rhetorical devices used to achieve them. It shows that people’s talk about health defines their social fitness and exemplifies their claims to being ill or healthy.

Abstract

Abstract This paper argues that people's views of health and illness are best understood as accounts that they give to others. In that sense, such beliefs are neither the expression of fixed inner attitudes, nor evidence for shared social representations. Instead, we emphasise the importance of seeing health talk as both ideological and dilemmatic. The paper explores the way in which individuals who speak of health (or illness) in general must also give an account of their health in particular. Reviewing the distinction between ‘private’ and ‘public’ accounts, the article discusses the various rhetorical devices by which this is achieved. This shows how people's talk about health both defines their social fitness and exemplifies their claims to being ill or healthy.