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Alienation in the patient role: source of ambivalence and humor in comic get well cards
Author(s) -
Bologh Roslyn Wallach
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
sociology of health and illness
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1467-9566
pISSN - 0141-9889
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9566.ep10478882
Subject(s) - alienation , ambivalence , anomie , comics , social psychology , psychology , social alienation , sociology , psychoanalysis , aesthetics , law , political science , philosophy
Summary The humorous themes of over 300 comic get well cards are analyzed to reveal sources of tension or strain in the patient role. The author uses a model of alienation as a way of categorizing these themes. Corresponding to the four aspects of alienated labor as specified by Marx, alienation in the patient role is divided into the following four aspects: alienation from medical providers (domination and indifference), alienation of self from body (powerlessness or impotence), alienation from treatment (meaninglessness), alienation from responsibilities (self‐estrangement). Each of these categories gets further broken down into sub‐categories reflecting the specific sources of ambivalence and humor expressed in the comic get well cards. Using Merton's scheme of social structure and anomie, the author develops the logical possibilities in the patient role: compliant patient,‘problem’patient, malingerer, fatalist and rebel. These categories refer to the consequences of either accepting or rejecting the goal of getting well and the (alienating) means as indicated above required by the American system of medical care. Most of the humor of the get well cards falls primarily under the category that characterizes the‘problem’patient: accepting the goal of getting well but rejecting or ridiculing the alienating means.