StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

SUmmary for an - Article Example

Cite this document
Summary
Murphy’s article entitled “Signs and Symptoms” (1987) describes the universal human experience of ageing, and the need that everyone has to come to terms with the finite nature of human life, and the limitations of the physical body. As an anthropologist the…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.5% of users find it useful
SUmmary for an article
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "SUmmary for an"

Article Summary Robert F. Murphy’s article en d “Signs and Symptoms” (1987) describes the universal human experience of ageing, and the need that everyone has to come to terms with the finite nature of human life, and the limitations of the physical body. As an anthropologist the author has much to say about the social and psychological construction of illness, and the way that most people in the earlier phases of life take for granted their good health, and their ability to plan whatever they choose in family and career, and follow up these plans over a long space of time.

The author describes his own gradual discovery of life-threatening illness, and the implications of this for him on a personal level, and he sets this within the wider context of the human condition generally. The first major insight that the author reports is that he becomes obsessed, in a rather unpleasant way, with his own body and that it is not so much the physical symptoms of disease that affect him, as the psychological ones “its most profound effect was upon my consciousness, my self-awareness, the way I apprehended and constructed the world and my position in it” (p. 13). Murphy comments on the tendency of clinicians to diagnose psycho-somatic illness when they cannot identify any clear physical cause for the symptoms reported.

There is an amusing account of a visit to a psychiatrist, whom the author dismisses with an academic remark about the proposed treatments, and an honest admission of the author’s limited understanding of the field of neurology. Throughout the article the author highlights the euphemistic use of language as a way of trying to reassure people in the face of unwelcome developments, for example “the unforgivable neologism restructuring” (p. 10) which really means financial cuts, and medical terms like “obstruction” (p. 17) which really means a tumor.

This illustrates one of his main themes, which is the way that sub-groups in society using slanted definitions to pull unwary outsiders into their own mini-world in which power structures privilege the insiders. This insight relates to the theories of Talcott Parsons relating to the so called “sick role” and Goffman relating to front and back stage behavior, which explain how illness takes over the whole of a person’s life, robbing him or her of freedom and prescribing new rules and a new objective, namely to get well again.

The institution imposes a new identity on the patient, and he has to adjust to its expectations. The article ends with some reflections on the idea of the Disembodied Self, and the decision to life one day at a time, which are common mechanisms that people use to cope with serious physical illness. The author situates his own coping strategies with his family background which had significant hardship and an expectation of stoic endurance in the face of loss. He compares this with other views of illness, such as the Mundurucu shamanic beliefs which he had studied in the 1950s (p. 29) and modern science-fiction narratives about alien invasion (p. 31). The final insight of the article is that the author conceives of his descent into the sick role as a “journey into entropy”, giving a scientific explanation for the disintegration of his former life.

Overall, the personal narrative brings alive many of the main twentieth century theories on embodied human existence with memorable and concrete examples.ReferencesMurphy, R.F. (1987) Signs and Symptoms. In: The Body Silent. New York: Henry Holt and Co., pp. 9-34.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“SUmmary for an article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
SUmmary for an article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/anthropology/1596745-summary-for-an-article
(SUmmary for an Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
SUmmary for an Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/anthropology/1596745-summary-for-an-article.
“SUmmary for an Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/anthropology/1596745-summary-for-an-article.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF SUmmary for an article

Customer Involvement in the Service Specifications by J. E. Swan

Its vague wordiness defeats the purpose of publishing an article, which is to inform people.... The article informs practitioners how much customers should get involved in order to satisfy them.... roblems and StrengthsThe main problem of this article is its language.... The main strength is that the article provides graphs that make it easier to grasp abstract concepts.... uggested Solutions This article can be treated as a customer-provider interaction....
1 Pages (250 words) Article

Summary the article The Power to see ourselves by Paul J. Brower

The term self-concept in management is reasonably… According to the article, managers ought to have steady self development and understanding on their own situation.... BrowerIn its broad overview, the article, The Power to See Ourselves by Paul J.... According to the article, managers ought to have steady self development and understanding on their own situation....
1 Pages (250 words) Article

Summary of Walter McDougall, Woodrow Wilson: Egocentric Crusader

 This article introduces a reader to an imperative topic in American history.... nbsp; History and Political Science Summary of Walter McDougall, “Woodrow Wilson: Egocentric Crusader” Essay This article is introduces a reader to an imperative topic in American history.... As time went on, the article notes that Wilson progressively embraced imperialism (McDougall 178)....
2 Pages (500 words) Article

The Public Obligations of Intellectuals Summary

In the article The Public Obligations of Intellectuals Michael Dyson explains his understanding of the role of intellectual for the community where he or she lives.... He had a hard life before he In the article The Public Obligations of Intellectuals Michael Dyson explains his understanding of the role of intellectual for the community where he or she lives.... In summary, Dyson comes to the conclusion that intellectuals need to use their knowledge to help other people, promote their freedoms and rights and serve their community effectively....
1 Pages (250 words) Article

Framing of Aboriginal Art by Irwin, R & Farrell

The paper “Framing of Aboriginal Art by Irwin, R & Farrell” summarizes the article, which recognizes the importance of visual and performing modes of expression in aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities.... The article claims that an aboriginal conception of time differs from an Ecocentric conception.... The article notes that our cultural or societal beliefs in Eurocentric and aboriginal approaches frame our views towards life and visual symbols....
2 Pages (500 words) Article

Lifeboat Ethics by Garrett Hardin

… The paper "Lifeboat Ethics by Garrett Hardin" is a wonderful example of an article on social science.... The paper "Lifeboat Ethics by Garrett Hardin" is a wonderful example of an article on social science.... The article written by Garrett Hardin emphasizes the need for sharing the earth's resources equally between all the countries of the world as a concentration of these resources in one part of the world or among a particular class of people would only lead to dangerous consequences....
2 Pages (500 words) Article

Entrepreneurship, Customer Experience, and Environmental Impact

… The paper "Entrepreneurship, Customer Experience, and Environmental Impact" is a great example of an article on environmental studies.... This summary focuses on Sarah Polley Takes on a New Role: Filmmaker, an article that is published at the website Experience.... The paper "Entrepreneurship, Customer Experience, and Environmental Impact" is a great example of an article on environmental studies.... This summary of the entrepreneur interview focuses on Sarah Polley Takes on a New Role: Filmmaker, an article that is published at the website Experience....
6 Pages (1500 words) Article

Sentenced to Everyday Life: Feminism and the Housewife by Johnson and Lloyd

… The paper "Sentenced to Everyday Life: Feminism and the Housewife by Johnson and Lloyd" is a delightful example of an article on sociology.... The paper "Sentenced to Everyday Life: Feminism and the Housewife by Johnson and Lloyd" is a delightful example of an article on sociology.... In this article by Johnson and Lloyd, Sentenced to Everyday Life, they take a closer look at the subject of a housewife and the minor or insignificant status that surround the feminism project....
7 Pages (1750 words) Article
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us