[...] I knew from the very beginning that this paper would only touch upon
some questions and that it would be impossible to investigate the whole field of marginalisation. But to deal with
the topic of marginalisation would help me to answer some questions and - what I consider more important - to
make me aware of social behavioural structures and attitudes towards illness. Because it is society that
determines our perception towards illness and finally creates strong prejudices about some diseases. And in my
opinion, this awareness of society’s power and influence is worth more than any all-including answer to questions
concerning illness and stigma. Furthermore, the topic of stigma and marginalisation allowed me to cover several disciplines, for example the disciplines of sociology, (social) psychology, medicine and anthropology. Thus, I had an insight into different areas and read books of diverse disciplines, not only of medicine. To decide about the book which I was going to analyse was not so simple at the beginning. Nevertheless, with the help of Dr. Franziska Gygax I finally decided to examine Audre Lorde’s book The Cancer Journals, since Audre Lorde was marginalised not only because of her breast cancer, but also because of her race and homosexual love. I considered this “double marginalisation” as an interesting starting point.
My paper is structured into two main parts: The first main part is about theoretical concepts to introduce
the theory of social roles and illness roles and the concept of bodily form as a social role as well. After that I
examined the meaning of stigma and shame of illness and also referred to an example of a stigmatized woman in
South India. In the second main part of the paper I analysed important situations of marginalisation in The
Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde. Audre Lorde, who tried to work up her experience of having breast cancer
and to encourage women with breast cancer as well, is presented in a short biography, since some biographical
background of her might be helpful for the analysis. This biography is followed by the book analysis, which is
structured by some keywords which exemplify moments of marginalisation in Audre Lorde’s life.
I would like to finish this introduction with two definitions: The definitions of two important terms which
are my guidelines throughout the whole paper and are mentioned in the title as well. I define them with the help of
some quotations, but also how I do understand them.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- INTRODUCTION
- THEORETICAL PART
- THEORETICAL CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL STATUS AND ILLNESS ROLES
- BRANT WENEGRAT'S CONCEPT OF SOCIAL (ILLNESS) ROLES
- BODILY FORM AS A SOCIAL ROLE
- THE STIGMA OF ILLNESS - MARGINALISATION THROUGH ILLNESS
- THE STIGMA AND SHAME OF ILLNESS
- THEORETICAL CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL STATUS AND ILLNESS ROLES
- ANALYSIS OT THE CANCER JOURNALS BY AUDRE LORDE
- WHO IS AUDRE LORDE? – A SHORT BIOGRAPHY
- CANCER JOURNALS – MOMENTS OF MARGINALISATION
- DIFFERENCE VS. CONFORMITY
- SILENCE AND INVISIBILITY
- ISOLATION AND SEPARATION
- FEMININITY AND SEXUALITY
- MORTALITY
- ANALYSIS OF AUDRE LORDE'S ILLNESS ROLE IN THE CANCER JOURNALS
- CONCLUSION
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The objective of this seminar paper is to explore the negative effects of illness on a person's life, specifically focusing on the social mechanisms of marginalization. The paper seeks to understand the societal factors that contribute to the stigma of illness and the resulting isolation of affected individuals.
- The impact of illness on social roles and status
- The concept of stigma and shame associated with illness
- Marginalization through illness, as exemplified by Audre Lorde's experiences
- The role of societal structures and attitudes in shaping perceptions of illness
- The intersection of illness, race, and sexuality in shaping marginalization
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by introducing theoretical concepts of social roles and illness roles, drawing on the work of Brant Wenegrat. It then examines the concept of bodily form as a social role, exploring how illness can disrupt established social norms and expectations. The chapter on stigma and shame delves into the social mechanisms that contribute to the marginalization of individuals with certain illnesses.
The second part of the paper focuses on analyzing Audre Lorde's The Cancer Journals. It provides a brief biography of Audre Lorde, highlighting the aspects of her life that contributed to her experience of marginalization. This is followed by an examination of various moments of marginalization in the Cancer Journals, focusing on themes of difference, silence, isolation, femininity, and sexuality. The analysis explores how these themes intersect to illustrate Audre Lorde's unique experience of illness and social exclusion.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The paper explores key themes such as social roles, illness roles, stigma, shame, marginalization, social exclusion, societal structures, attitudes towards illness, intersectionality, race, sexuality, and biographical analysis. The focus is on examining the impact of illness on individual lives and the social mechanisms that contribute to the marginalization of individuals with certain illnesses, particularly as exemplified by Audre Lorde's personal experiences with breast cancer.
- Quote paper
- Isabelle Fol (Author), 2003, The Stigma of Illness - Marginalisation through illness in deh Cancer Jounals by Audre Lorde, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/44208
