The illness experience: State of knowledge and perspectives for research

Janine Pierret (1)

1 CERMES - UMR 8169 / U750 - CERMES - Centre de recherche Médecine, Science, Santé Société

Over the last quarter century, research on the illness experience has thrived. Publications on this subject are reviewed in relation to three themes: subjectivity; coping actions and strategies for managing everyday life; and the social structure. Sociology of Health and Illness has contributed significantly to this field. In conclusion, research perspectives are suggested for tackling the problems in passing from a micro to a macro level of analysis.

Mots clés: social structure; illness; experience; subjectivity; everyday life; coping; strategies; social structure.

Mots clés: maladie; subjectivité; vie quotidienne; faire face; structure sociale.

Domaines: Sociologie

Janine Pierret. The illness experience: State of knowledge and perspectives for research. Sociology of Health and Illness, 2003, 25 (Silver anniversary issue), pp.4-22. ⟨hal-00195373⟩