The aim of this study is to examine the creation of identity of women who were diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. This is done through research questions making visible different social norms and strategies affecting the women’s identity and self-understanding. The study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews with a participation of six women who were diagnosed with ADHD over the age of 20. Throughout the interviews the participants answered questions regarding distinctive events and experiences in relation to the diagnosis, the experience of being diagnosed, and their view of themselves and their identity in relation to these events. The data was further structured with a thematic analysis method, and analyzed through Islam's explanation of Tajfel and Turner's social identity theory. Additionally the theory of Stigma, explained by Persson and Goffman, and a gender perspective explained by Francis, Connell and Pearse was used to analyze the material. The concept of medicalization defined by Conrad was further used in the analysis of the material. The results are understood through, and compared to previous studies on the subject to position this study in the current state of research. The study shows how the women create their identity and self-understanding through an experience of deviating from social norms. Both of being a young girl, and a grown woman, and of functioning as a normative adult. Stereotypes of the normative person with ADHD additionally affected the women’s creation of identity after the diagnosis. The diagnosis was furthermore an important factor of explanation in the women's understanding of previous experiences of exclusion and abnormality. This was of great importance for the women's identity creation after the diagnosis. Through the result various social norms and individual strategies to obtain these norms are made visible, which all had an impact on the women’s identity and self-understanding today.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:lnu-119727 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Ottilia, Andersson, Maja, Hansson |
| Publisher | Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för samhällsstudier (SS) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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