Do men’s and women’s accounts of surviving a stroke conform to Frank’s narrative genres?

France, E., Hunt, K. , Dow, C. and Wyke, S. (2013) Do men’s and women’s accounts of surviving a stroke conform to Frank’s narrative genres? Qualitative Health Research, 23(12), pp. 1649-1659. (doi: 10.1177/1049732313509895)

Abstract

We compared the illness narratives of 9 male and 9 female United Kingdom stroke survivors using Frank’s typologies of illness narratives. Most respondents presented a single dominant narrative genre (“quest memoir,” “restitution,” “chaos,” or a new “despair” genre); none presented quest manifesto or automythology narratives of social action or self-reinvention. We found no gender differences apparent in which genres respondents presented. Stroke severity and the degree of anticipated or actual recovery largely influenced which genre predominated in individual accounts. Contrary to some sociological understandings of gender and health, gender appeared to be less influential on stroke survivors’ illness accounts than aspects of the illness, such as its severity.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Wyke, Professor Sally and Hunt, Professor Kathryn and Dow, Dr Clare
• Authors: France, E., Hunt, K., Dow, C., and Wyke, S.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Social Scientists working in Health and Wellbeing; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Journal Name: Qualitative Health Research
• Publisher: Sage
• ISSN: 1049-7323
• ISSN (Online): 1552-7557
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2013 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Qualitative Health Research 23(12):1649-1659
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Related URLs

• PubMed