Chaudhary Sarah, Avis Mark, Munn-Giddings Carol
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham , Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK . E-mail:
Soc Theory Health. 2013 Feb;11(1):59-80. doi: 10.1057/sth.2012.14. Epub 2012 Oct 10.
Self-help groups in the United Kingdom continue to grow in number and address virtually every conceivable health condition, but they remain the subject of very little theoretical analysis. The literature to date has predominantly focused on their therapeutic effects on individual members. And yet they are widely presumed to fulfil a broader civic role and to encourage democratic citizenship. The article uses Habermas' model of the public sphere as an analytical tool with which to reconsider the literature on self-help groups in order to increase our knowledge of their civic functions. In doing this it also aims to illustrate the continuing relevance of Habermas' work to our understanding of issues in health and social care. We consider, within the context of current health policies and practices, the extent to which self-help groups with a range of different forms and functions operate according to the principles of communicative rationality that Habermas deemed key to democratic legitimacy. We conclude that self-help groups' civic role is more complex than is usually presumed and that various factors including groups' leadership, organisational structure and links with public agencies can affect their efficacy within the public sphere.
英国的自助团体数量持续增长，几乎涉及每一种可想象到的健康状况，但它们仍然很少受到理论分析。迄今为止的文献主要关注它们对个体成员的治疗效果。然而，人们普遍认为它们发挥着更广泛的公民作用，并鼓励民主公民身份。本文运用哈贝马斯的公共领域模式作为分析工具，重新审视关于自助团体的文献，以增进我们对其公民功能的了解。在此过程中，本文还旨在说明哈贝马斯的著作对于我们理解健康与社会关怀问题的持续相关性。在当前健康政策和实践的背景下，我们思考了具有一系列不同形式和功能的自助团体在多大程度上按照哈贝马斯认为对民主合法性至关重要的交往合理性原则运作。我们得出结论，自助团体的公民角色比通常认为的更为复杂，包括团体领导、组织结构以及与公共机构的联系等各种因素会影响它们在公共领域的效力。
