213
Views
6
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Symposium on stigma and health

Sources of hope in chronic illness

Pages 99-107 | Published online: 17 Dec 2014
 

Abstract

Chronic illness is a form of suffering from which cure is unlikely but healing is possible. This paper reflects on the emotion of ‘hope’ in the context of such illnesses. Using Arthur Frank’s illness narrative types as a framework, it begins with sociological critiques of the discourse of hope in media stories about cancer (‘false hopes’). It considers the contrast between stories of ‘loss of self’ and ‘transcendence of self’ in the sociological literature on chronic illness. It links hope with ethical action (living for others) and with embodied experiences of security and love. Referring to a medieval account of hope in the midst of suffering (Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love), it demonstrates that the theistic strand in the history of western thought and experience remains important in the social construction of the contemporary self and in people’s capacity to face adversity without despair.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.