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Circulating beliefs, resilient metaphors and faith in biomedicine: hepatitis C patients and interferon combination therapy
Author(s) -
Jenner Anton,
Scott Anne
Publication year - 2008
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/j.1467-9566.2007.01061.x
Subject(s) - argument (complex analysis) , biomedicine , narrative , faith , metaphor , relation (database) , epistemology , medicine , alpha interferon , sociology , psychotherapist , interferon , psychology , aesthetics , immunology , philosophy , bioinformatics , computer science , linguistics , biology , database
In this paper, we argue that circulating metaphors and beliefs can create an environment in which particular biomedical treatments make cultural sense, even if they seem to be ineffective or are associated with unpleasant side effects. We develop this argument in relation to interferon combined therapy. An innovative methodology combining the collection and deconstructive analysis of visual and narrative texts produced by people with hepatitis C is used to demonstrate links between a predisposition towards Western biomedical practice, discomfort with uncertainty, a desire to reassert control, and adoption of conflict metaphors associated with the tropes of invasion and eradication.