Jovchelovitch, Sandra 
ORCID: 0000-0002-0073-2792 and Gervais, Marie-Claude
(1999)
Social representations of health and illness: the case of the Chinese community in England.
Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 9 (4).
pp. 247-260.
ISSN 1052-9284
Abstract
This paper reports results from a qualitative study on social representations of health and illness among the Chinese community in England. It is assumed that representations of health and illness are grounded in cultural frameworks and are constructed through communication, social interaction and the practices of daily life. Our findings show that in spite of differences related to age and degrees of acculturation, Chinese people in England share a common representational system with respect to health and illness. This system is based on the traditional notions of balance and harmony between the interdependent forces of Yin and Yang. Health results from balance, whereas illness is brought about by disequilibrium. It is through these traditional Chinese concepts that Western biomedical knowledge is incorporated, producing a mixed representational field where Chinese and Western knowledge co-exist. This representational field is transmitted through the most fundamental dimensions of culture: food, language and kinship relations. We conclude by showing that social representations of health and illness are inseparable from the struggles over identity experienced by the Chinese people in England.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/5625/ho... |
| Additional Information: | © 1999 John Wiley & Sons |
| Divisions: | Psychological and Behavioural Science |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Mar 2010 15:42 |
| Last Modified: | 06 Oct 2024 23:21 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/6934 |
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