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A Constellation of Misfortune

Author

Listed:
  • Gavin Daker-White
  • Caroline Sanders
  • Anne Rogers
  • Ivaylo Vassliev
  • Christian Blickem
  • Sudeh Cheraghi-Sohi

Abstract

Quantitative studies have drawn attention to the patterning of health inequalities in relation to subjective social status (SSS). There is currently little insight into the complexities of the social and biographical aspects that lie behind these findings. Narrative accounts were gathered in a mixed-methods study involving a population of people with coronary heart disease (CHD) and/or diabetes in a region of the United Kingdom with above average levels of socio-economic deprivation. The aim of this secondary qualitative analysis was to examine the accounts of interviewees with low socio-economic status (SES) who ranked themselves either low or high in terms of SSS. The results highlight the multiplicity of adverse circumstances leading to subjective assessments of low SSS. Loss of employment status contributed more to a feeling of being “at the bottom of the ladder†than the symptoms of chronic illness did, perhaps because having somewhere to go is central to the accrual of social, economic, and cultural capital. The narratives of those who ranked themselves highly (in spite of low SES) appeared to have more family and community connections. The findings contribute to theories of socio-economic biographies or trajectories, subjective social status, and engagement with the self-management aspects of chronic illness.

Suggested Citation

  • Gavin Daker-White & Caroline Sanders & Anne Rogers & Ivaylo Vassliev & Christian Blickem & Sudeh Cheraghi-Sohi, 2014. "A Constellation of Misfortune," SAGE Open, , vol. 4(4), pages 21582440145, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:4:y:2014:i:4:p:2158244014558041
    DOI: 10.1177/2158244014558041
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Davison, Charlie & Frankel, Stephen & Smith, George Davey, 1992. "The limits of lifestyle: Re-assessing 'fatalism' in the popular culture of illness prevention," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 675-685, March.
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    3. Ivaylo Vassilev & Anne Rogers & Christian Blickem & Helen Brooks & Dharmi Kapadia & Anne Kennedy & Caroline Sanders & Sue Kirk & David Reeves, 2013. "Social Networks, the ‘Work’ and Work Force of Chronic Illness Self-Management: A Survey Analysis of Personal Communities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(4), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Robinson, Ian, 1990. "Personal narratives, social careers and medical courses: Analysing life trajectories in autobiographies of people with multiple sclerosis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 1173-1186, January.
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