Social Representations, Health and Illness: History, Development and Change - Hardcover

by Michael Murray (Author)

This book provides a concise introduction to the theoretical and methodological issues around the social representation of health and illness across the lifespan. Moving from the traditional conception of health and illness as clinical entities to a more wide-ranging definition, it considers the value of social representation theory in offering innovative insights into the popular understanding of health and illness, and the interplay between individual experiences and broader socio-cultural contexts.

Through a combination of historical analysis and contemporary studies, the book sheds new light on how people understand and engage with health-related practices. It begins by considering the origins of social representation theory. It then proceeds to consider the influence of socio-economic factors, gender roles, and cultural processes on social representations of health and illness, and delves into questions such as: How do children, adults, and older people's understandings of health and illness change over time? What role do social class and gender play in shaping these understandings? How do young people negotiate their health identities in the face of societal expectations and personal experiences? It concludes by considering processes of change in social representations. Integrating perspectives from health psychology, social psychology, and social representation theory and research, this short volume offers valuable insights for academics interested in the intersections of health, identity, and society, as well as practitioners working in health promotion and education.

Back Jacket

"A very instructive overview of the origins, development and fruitfulness of social representations theory and research. With its international and well-structured focus in various domains of health and illness, this is a perfect source for illustrating the usefulness of the approach for doing studies in these fields."

- Uwe Flick, Professor, Qualitative Social and Education Research, Freie Universit?t Berlin, Germany

"Drawing on a large number of empirical studies in countries and cultural contexts in Europe and around the world, with young and older adults, the author takes an exemplary grasp of his subject - health and illness. A fascinating read for experts, students, but also curious laypeople."

- Nikos Kalampalikis, Professor of Social Psychology, Lyon 2 University, France

This book provides a concise introduction to the theoretical and methodological issues around the social representation of health and illness across the lifespan. Moving from the traditional conception of health and illness as clinical entities to a more wide-ranging definition, it considers the value of social representation theory in offering innovative insights into the popular understanding of health and illness, and the interplay between individual experiences and broader socio-cultural contexts.

Through a combination of historical analysis and contemporary studies, the book sheds new light on how people understand and engage with health-related practices. It begins by considering the origins of social representation theory. It then proceeds to consider the influence of socio-economic factors, gender roles, and cultural processes on social representations of health and illness, and delves into questions such as: How do children, adults, and older people's understandings of health and illness change over time? What role do social class and gender play in shaping these understandings? How do young people negotiate their health identities in the face of societal expectations and personal experiences? It concludes by considering processes of change in social representations. Integrating perspectives from health psychology, social psychology, and social representation theory and research, this short volume offers valuable insights for academics interested in the intersections of health, identity, and society, as well as practitioners working in health promotion and education.

Author Biography

Michael Murray is Emeritus Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Keele University, UK. He has published widely on critical and qualitative approaches in health psychology.