This thesis presents an account of a sociological research project exploring the field of Chronic Back Pain (CBP). This medical condition, despite being prevalent worldwide, is extremely problematic and difficult to treat because of its often ambiguous medical status and fluctuating symptoms. These problems of diagnosis and resolution often have a negative impact on sufferers’ daily lives, social relationships, identity and sense of self, and are often characterised by negative encounters with medical professionals. This study explores these themes via academic work from the field of cultural sociology, and in particular, from the French pragmatic approach. My data is analysed via Lamont’s (1992) theory of ‘symbolic boundary making’ and other related work on boundaries. I also utilize work on accounts to explore respondents’ processes of account-making. In addition, I use Gieryn’s (1983) model of ‘boundary-work’ to explore the issues of professional identity and the professional struggles that are apparent in the practitioners’ accounts. The research was carried out using qualitative methods. In total, I conducted forty in-depth semi-structured interviews with patients with CBP, GPs, physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and an acupuncturist.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:582713 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | MacKenzie, Fiona |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=201924 |
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