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Constructing agency in treatment decisions: negotiating responsibility in cancer

Constructing agency in treatment decisions: negotiating responsibility in cancer
Constructing agency in treatment decisions: negotiating responsibility in cancer
People belonging to cancer patient support groups participated in focus groups concerning their experiences of orthodox and complementary medicine. Their accounts of treatment decisions for cancer were analysed through discourse analysis. Accounts of both complementary and orthodox medicine addressed an ideological dilemma concerning the positioning of individuals as active or passive. Active positions were congruent with the everyday value of autonomy and responsible individuality, but conflicted with the established expertise of the medical profession in cancer and entailed being accountable for one’s health. Passive positions reversed this situation. Complementary medicine provided an opportunity for people with cancer to negotiate active positions in a limited domain of health care. The responsibility for health associated with taking active treatment decisions was problematic in accounts of both orthodox and complementary medicine.
cancer, complementary medicine, discourse analysis, treatment decisions
1363-4593
465-482
Bishop, Felicity L.
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e
Bishop, Felicity L.
1f5429c5-325f-4ac4-aae3-6ba85d079928
Yardley, Lucy
64be42c4-511d-484d-abaa-f8813452a22e

Bishop, Felicity L. and Yardley, Lucy (2004) Constructing agency in treatment decisions: negotiating responsibility in cancer. Health, 8 (4), 465-482. (doi:10.1177/1363459304045699). (PMID:15358899)

Record type: Article

Abstract

People belonging to cancer patient support groups participated in focus groups concerning their experiences of orthodox and complementary medicine. Their accounts of treatment decisions for cancer were analysed through discourse analysis. Accounts of both complementary and orthodox medicine addressed an ideological dilemma concerning the positioning of individuals as active or passive. Active positions were congruent with the everyday value of autonomy and responsible individuality, but conflicted with the established expertise of the medical profession in cancer and entailed being accountable for one’s health. Passive positions reversed this situation. Complementary medicine provided an opportunity for people with cancer to negotiate active positions in a limited domain of health care. The responsibility for health associated with taking active treatment decisions was problematic in accounts of both orthodox and complementary medicine.

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More information

Published date: October 2004
Keywords: cancer, complementary medicine, discourse analysis, treatment decisions

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 18465
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/18465
ISSN: 1363-4593
PURE UUID: e5ddc297-fbd9-4660-84a4-534586eecb32
ORCID for Felicity L. Bishop: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8737-6662
ORCID for Lucy Yardley: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3853-883X

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 16 Dec 2005
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:30

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