Connecting Narrative and Social Representation Theory in Health Research

2002 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Murray
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Social Representation Theory

According to narrative theory, human beings are natural story-tellers, and investigating the character of the stories people tell can help us better understand not only the particular events described but also the character of the story-teller and of the social context within which the stories are constructed. Much of the research on the character of narratives has focussed on their internal structure and has not sufficiently considered their social nature. There has been limited attempt to connect narrative with social representation theory. This article explores further the theoretical connections between narratives and social representations in health research. It is argued that, through the telling of narratives, a community is engaged in the process of creating a social representation while at the same time drawing upon a broader collective representation. The article begins by reviewing some of the common origins of the two approaches and then moves to consider a number of empirical studies of popular views of health and illness that illustrate the interconnections between the two approaches. It concludes that narratives are intimately involved in the organization of social representations.

scholarly journals O significado dos olhos nas representações sociais de clientes transplantados de córnea e suas implicações para o cuidado de si

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 202-205
Author(s):  
Ralrizônia Fernandes Sousa ◽  
Sílvio Éder Dias Da Silva ◽  
Esleane Vilela Vasconcelos ◽  
Lucialba Maria Silva Dos Santos ◽  
Vander Monteiro Da Conceição ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Representation Theory ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Corneal Transplantation ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Corneal Transplant ◽  
The Social ◽  
De Se ◽  
Social Representation Theory

Objetivou-se identificar o significado dos olhos nas representações sociais de clientes transplantados de córnea e suas implicações para o cuidado de si. Tratase de uma pesquisa descritiva qualitativa, adotando a Teoria das Representações Sociais na perspectiva de Moscovici. Fizeram parte deste estudo, 15 clientes submetidos a transplantes de córnea e que se encontravam em acompanhamento no Consultório de Oftalmologia do Ambulatório do Hospital Ophir Loyola, em Belém, PA. Os depoentes atribuíram significados diversos aos seus olhos, substanciados por sentimentos de tristeza e insatisfação, que contribuíram para mudanças significativas no cuidado de si. Há necessidade de se cogitar sobre o compromisso do enfermeiro com o cliente transplantado de córnea que, muitas vezes, encontra-se fragilizado, necessitando de um olhar mais atento.Descritores: Enfermagem, Transplante de Córnea, Cuidado de Si.Eye on the meaning of social representations corneal transplantation customers and it’s implications for the care of youThe aim of this study was to identify the meaning of the eyes of customers in the social representations of corneal transplant and its implications for self-care. It is a descriptive and qualitative study, adopting the Social Representation Theory in the context of Moscovici. The sample comprised 15 clients who underwent corneal transplantation and were followed up in the office of the Ophthalmology Clinic of the Ophir Loyola Hospital, in Belem, Pará. The respondents attributed different meanings to their eyes; substantiated by feelings of sadness and dissatisfaction, that contributed to significant changes in self-care. There is need to think about the commitment of the nurse with the client cornea transplant, which often is fragile, requiring a closer look.Descriptors: Nursing, Corneal Transplantation, Self-care.Los ojos sobre el significado de los clientes representataciones sociales transplante de córnea y sus conscuencias para el cuidad de ustedEl objetivo fue identificar el significado de los ojos de los clientes en las representaciones sociales de trasplante de córnea y sus implicaciones para el autocuidado. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo cualitativo, adoptando laTeoría de las Representaciones Sociales en el contexto de Moscovici. La muestra es compuesta por 15 clientes que se sometieron a trasplante de córnea que se siguió en la oficina de la Clínica de Oftalmología del Hospital Ophir Loyola, en Belem, Pará. Los encuestados atribuyen diferentes significados a sus ojos, motivada por sentimientos de tristeza e insatisfacción, que han contribuido a cambios significativos en el auto-cuidado. Hay que pensar en el compromiso de la enfermera con el trasplante de cornea del cliente, que a menudo es frágil, lo que requiere una mirada más cercana.Descriptores: Enfermería, Trasplante de Córnea, Cuidar de si.

scholarly journals The social representations of climate change: comparison of two territories exposed to the coastal flooding risk

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance Mambet Doue ◽  
Oscar Navarro Carrascal ◽  
Diego Restrepo ◽  
Nathalie Krien ◽  
Delphine Rommel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Representation Theory ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Representation Theory

Purpose Based on social representation theory, this study aims to evaluate and analyze the similarities and differences between social representations of climate change held by people living in two territories, which have in common that they are exposed to coastal risks but have different socio-cultural contexts: on the one hand, Cartagena (Colombia) and on the other, Guadeloupe (French overseas department, France). Design/methodology/approach A double approach, both quantitative and qualitative, of social representation theory was adopted. The data collection was undertaken in two phases. First, the content and organization of social representation of climate change (SRCC) was examined with a quantitative study of 946 participants for both countries, followed by a qualitative study of 63 participants for both countries also. Findings The study finds unicity in the SRCC for the quantitative study. In contrast, the qualitative study highlights differences at the level of the institutional anchoring of the climate change phenomenon in these two different socioeconomic and political contexts. Practical implications These results are relevant for a reflection in terms of public policies for the prevention and management of collective natural risks, as well as for the promotion of ecological behavior adapted to political and ideological contexts. Originality/value The use of a multi-methodological approach (quantitative and qualitative) in the same research is valuable to confirm the importance of an in-depth study of the social representations of climate change because of the complexity of the phenomenon.

Social positions and groups: New approximations between Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology and social representation theory

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Humberto Faria Campos ◽  
Rita de Cássia Pereira Lima
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Symbolic Capital ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Semiotic Mediation ◽  
Group Representations ◽  
Social Field ◽  
Symbolic Form ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Representation Theory

This article proposes approximations between Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology and Serge Moscovici’s social representation theory. Both authors are interested in the relationship between agents/groups, social context, and culture, and both value the symbolic dimension in the construction of social reality. Bourdieu highlights the social world of struggles between the socialized agent and culture, while Moscovici privileges interactions involving the collective subject which, whether in conflict or consensus, produces a theory of social knowledge that is revealing of culture. In this broader context, the article highlights relations between “social positions” and “groups” which are present in both Bourdieu and Willem Doise, an important collaborator of Moscovici in the area of social representation theory. Such relations are founded on the principle of structural homology, a principle based on the correspondence between social structure and symbolic systems. This discussion leads to another: the need to understand “consensus” and “conflict” in groups, in both Moscovici and Doise, relating them to the action of forces in Bourdieu’s social field of struggles. The notion of “group,” which is valued in our text, is little discussed by these authors. We emphasize the necessity to go deeper into group interactions in articulation with positions in the social field, and to value group representations and practices in meaning negotiation processes, as well to discuss the question of social change. We propose studying social representations—in groups with homogeneous practices—as a symbolic form of condensation and measurement of symbolic capital, adding to this approach the notion of social position and semiotic mediation.

scholarly journals Knowledge About Family and School Contribution in Academic Achievement: The Context of Schooling and Social Representations in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 002205742110259
Author(s):  
Chetan Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Representation Theory ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Social Representation Theory

The present paper critically examined the available research on role of family and school contribution in academic achievement and explored their social representations. People adaptation with the prevalent notions and thinking beyond the boundary of common sense is required to explain multidimensional picture of any attribute. Previous research applied social representation theory to understand educability, intelligence, academic achievement and failure, and teachership. This article showed a polysemic understanding of family and school contribution where roles and identity matters.

scholarly journals Teoria reprezentacji społecznych w interdyscyplinarnych badaniach nad dyskursem edukacyjnym – potencjał zbiorowego pisania biografii

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-243
Author(s):  
Zuzanna Zbróg
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Educational Discourse ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Representation Theory ◽  
Collective Biography ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Theoretical Analyses

The aim of the article is to present the theory of social representations which is not well-known in the Polish pedagogy and which may constitute an interesting theoretical and methodological perspective for the study of the educational discourse. The theory itself is interdisciplinary and therefore may be useful in research carried out within various academic disciplines both in the humanities and social sciences. Theoretical analyses will also concern the possibilities of conducting research of educational discourse within the framework of the social representation theory with the application of the collective biography writing which may be perceived as the critical discourse analysis.

scholarly journals Representações sociais da enfermagem elaboradas por profissionais de saúde não enfermeiros

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Érick Igor dos Santos ◽  
Yasmin Rayanne Alves ◽  
Antonio Marcos Tosoli Gomes ◽  
Aline Cerqueira Santos Santana da Silva ◽  
Diego Bonfante Mota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Representation Theory ◽  
Nursing Health ◽  
Nursing Professional

Aims:  To  analyze  the  social  representations  of  nursing  by  non-nursing health professionals. Method: This is a descriptive, exploratory research, with a qualitative  approach,  using    Social  Representation  Theory  as  a  structural  approach.  A total of 53 non-nursing health professionals participated in this research. The technique used to collect the data was based on free and hierarchical opinions, using the inductor terminology “nursing”. D ata analysis was treated through the software E VOC  2005. Results:  The  following  are  among  the  core  terms  used  to  socially  represent  nursing: care,  team,  responsibility  and  work.  Discussion:  It  was to  form  a  balance  between the functional,  normative,  and  perceived  image  of  the  representation,  which  includes cognitive  and  evaluative  elements.  There  is  a  positive  view  towards  the  study  object. Conclusion:  This  representation has  been  carefully  presented  as  professionals  relate to concrete  and  tangible  formats  to  express  the  nursing  professional,  and  then  they  are able to reconstruct the object nursing.

scholarly journals Universalists or Utilitarianists? The Social Representation of COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10434
Author(s):  
Luiz Antonio Joia ◽  
Flavia Michelotto
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Brazilian Society ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Representation Theory

A fierce debate arose in Brazil on how to manage and mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic—a debate derived from a dissonant perception by society about the actual significance of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Brazilian population has divided into two contrasting philosophical approaches: the universalism—understanding life as an asset of infinite value and, therefore, more important than the country’s economic preservation—and the utilitarianism—where the focus is on the mitigation of the COVID 19 pandemic-enabled economic crisis, due to its potential devastating effect on people’s lives, thereby leaving health issues in the background. The main cause for these different sensemakings is associated with the lack of a monosemic definition for the “COVID-19 pandemic” construct. Thus, the objective of this article is to investigate the social representation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil through the Social Representation Theory operationalized by the word’s evocation technique. The results show that Brazilian society privileged prophylaxis and health, via social isolation, to the detriment of the country’s economic preservation. In addition, trends emphasized by experts, such as a post-pandemic “new-normal” and the digital transformation of society, played a peripheral role in the social representation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

scholarly journals Social representations of marketing work: advertising workers and social media

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 830-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Cluley ◽  
William Green
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Representation Theory ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Managers ◽  
Social Representation Theory

Purpose Informed by social representation theory, the study aims to explore how marketing workers represent their activities on social media. Design/methodology/approach A naturalistic data set of 17,553 messages posted on Twitter by advertising workers was collected. A sample of over 1,000 unique messages from this data set, incorporating all external links and images, was analysed inductively using structured thematic analysis. Findings Advertising workers represent marketing work as a series of fun yet constrained activities involving relationships with clients and colleagues. They engage in cognitive polyphasia by evaluating these productive differences in both a positive and negative light. Research limitations/implications The study marks a novel use of social representation theory and innovative social media analysis. Further research should explore these relations in greater depth by considering the networks that marketing workers create on social media and establish how, when and why marketing workers turn to social media in their everyday activities. Practical implications Marketing workers choose to represent aspects of their work to one another, using social media. Marketing managers should support such activities and consider social media as a way to understand the lives and experiences of marketing workers. Originality/value Marketing researchers have embraced digital media as a route to understanding consumers. This study demonstrates the value of analysing digital media to develop an understanding of marketing work. It sheds new light on the ways marketing workers create social relationships and enables marketing managers to understand and observe the social aspects of effective marketing.

scholarly journals Mirrored Social Representations of Canadian Caseworkers with Migratory Paths Intervening with Refugees in the Host Country

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8648
Author(s):  
Lilian Negura ◽  
Corinna Buhay ◽  
Annamaria Silvana de Rosa
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Representation Theory

In 2015, the resettlement of 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada placed a strain on social services. Caseworkers employed in these agencies often come from similar migratory trajectories to those of the refugees. This experiential proximity requires an understanding of the subjective perspectives that caseworkers with migratory paths have of refugees in the context of their professional practice. We analyzed fifteen individual interviews with Canadian caseworkers and conducted field observations of resettlement activities in the Ottawa-Gatineau region using inductive reasoning inspired by grounded theory. Adopting a sociogenetic approach to social representation theory, this qualitative study illustrates how the social representation of refugees among foreign-born caseworkers is highly informed by their migratory past experience, as well as by the social identity and social context from which that representation was socio-generated. Our analysis reveals the mirror effect of the caseworkers as a fruitful concept for understanding the identity-otherness dynamics in the encounter between the distant other (refugee) and the self.

Social Representation Theory: An Historical Outline

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Representation Theory ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
International Visibility ◽  
Social Representation Theory ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Cognitive Polyphasia

The concept of social representation (SR) was developed by Serge Moscovici in 1961 as a social psychological approach articulating individual thinking and feeling with collective interaction and communication. SRs are conceived as symbolic forms that come about through interpersonal and media communication. They are the ways individuals think, interact with others, and shape social objects in their interaction with the local world. This text presents an outline of the history of social representation theory (SRT), using a four-period model: first, creation and incubation in France starting with Moscovici’s first book; second, the opening to the English-speaking academe around 1980; third, institutionalization and proliferation with the start of the journal papers on SRs and regular conferences in 1992; and, fourth, normalization, approximately from 2000 onwards. The first period (1961–1984) started with Serge Moscovici’s first presentation of his ideas in a French-language volume on “La psychanalyse son image et son public.” This was republished in an updated version in 1976 and translated into English in 2008. The theory postulates cognitive and social factors in the genesis and structure of SRs. These are accompanied by specific styles of communication that reflect the communicators’ identity and ideology. Together these aspects constitute common sense. The first period was a time of incubation because Moscovici and his first PhD students, Claudine Herzlich, Denise Jodelet, and Jean-Claude Abric, tried the concept in different domains. The second half of this period saw Moscovici and collaborators extend SRT’s theoretical frame to include the idea of consensual vs. reified domains. A consensual domain of communication is characterized by the free interchange of attitudes and opinions, while a reified domain is determined by institutionalized rules. Moscovici also postulated a process of cognitive polyphasia. By cognitive polyphasia he described a phenomenon where individuals use different and even contradictory thoughts about the same issue depending on the social setting they are in. The year 1984 marked the publication of a book for English-speaking scholars edited by Robert Farr and Moscovici that collected papers from an international conference in 1979. It was the first book-length collection of works on SRT and highlighted empirical research by a variety of international scholars. The period following 1979 through to 1992 saw a broadening of the base of scholars becoming interested in SRT. The 1980s brought Willem Doise’s conceptualizing of anchoring as a process of social marking, Abric’s theory of core and peripheral elements of a representation, and Hilde Himmelweit’s founding of a societal psychology. Proliferation was boosted 1992 by the founding of the journal Papers on Social Representations and the beginning of a biannual series of International Conferences on Social Representations, starting in 1992. This increased the international visibility of SRT and helped scholars to organize themselves around topics and form cross-national research groups. The period from 1992 to the first decade of the new century was characterized by an increasing number of empirical and theoretical studies. A series of theoretical branches emerged: there was research on the micro-genesis of SRs on the individual level, an extension of the structural theory of SRs, the discussion of the socially constructive aspects and sociopolitical uses of SRT, the design of a dialogical approach to the mind and social life, and Moscovici’s suggestion to consider large-scale themata as a factor in social thinking. If the period after 1992 was a time of institutionalization, the time after the turn of the century can be called a period of normalization. That is, a period when SRT was presented in chapters for handbooks of social psychology and when dedicated handbooks and monographs were published. From this period onward it becomes virtually impossible to give even a superficial account of the most important contributions to SRT’s burgeoning field of research and theory development.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document