病いの物語と身体

Ａ・Ｗ・フランク「コミュニカティヴな身体」を導きにして

抄録

　In his social theory, Arthur W. Frank explained that the body is often consideredproblematic in terms of its “functionality” (or “system”). However, considering itproblematic in terms of “actions” is more in line with a phenomenological approach,rather than a functional approach.　The concept of the “communicative body”, in particular, is applicable to the case ofmany sick people who wish to communicate with others face-to-face: both verbally andnon-verbally. I observed communication in a few self-help groups. However, Frank, whoonly argued that the telling of “quest stories” is an ethical practice of the “communicativebody”, did not clarify the ambivalence between various illness narratives and the body.　I observed as a group individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease who wished tobe rehabilitated, and prepared a short ethnography of their group. In the participants’communication, their language as well as their bodies constructed their illnessnarratives, which were characterized by hard-working protagonists or their handicappedbodies. However, the relationship between an illness narrative and the body is notsimple. On the one hand, their bodies sustain their illness narratives that give them hope;on the other, their condition deteriorates and they feel that they are “getting worse”.　The “body” is a very important element in the study of illness narratives; it sustains orhinders the construction of the narratives. Therefore, the “communicative body” is notan “idealized” one. The concept is applicable while observing the relationship betweenvarious illness narratives and the body, and considering how the body develops and failsin its style of usage when it suffers from a debilitating illness.