Macrae Hazel
Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Canada.
Sociol Health Illn. 2008 Apr;30(3):396-412. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2007.01056.x. Epub 2008 Feb 20.
Drawing upon data from a qualitative study of persons who are in the early stage of the condition, this paper examines the meaning of Alzheimer's disease. It contrasts the meaning of the disease as portrayed in popular culture with its meaning as interpreted by persons living with it. Findings show that persons with the illness do not necessarily accept the negative cultural meaning of the disease, nor the helpless 'victim' role in which they are generally cast. With a determination to 'make the best of it', strategies such as humour, normalisation, present-time orientation, and life review are employed to create a meaningful life.
本文借鉴了一项针对处于该疾病早期阶段的人群的定性研究数据，探讨了阿尔茨海默病的意义。它将流行文化中所描绘的该疾病的意义与患者所理解的意义进行了对比。研究结果表明，患病者不一定接受该疾病在文化层面的负面意义，也不接受他们通常被塑造的无助“受害者”角色。带着“充分利用它”的决心，他们采用了幽默、正常化、关注当下以及回顾人生等策略来创造有意义的生活。
