Narratives of living with diabetes, an examination of self, identity, and the body

grantor: University of TorontoThis study examined the personal and social meanings of living with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus through an integration of social theory with individuals' everyday experiences with diabetes. The theory of narrative, identity, self, and the body, was used to illuminate the continuous processes involved in being an individual with diabetes and to contextualize the challenges to managing diabetes. Transcripts of unstructured interviews previously conducted with four women who have diabetes were the basis for this study. Diabetes narratives were used to construct identities and selves and to interpret one's bodily experiences. The self as a cognitive, reflexive, subjective, and physical experience, identity as a temporal and relational construct influenced by others and one's own recognitions, and the body as a lived experience and as a product of cultural themes, provided the framework for a deeper understanding of the personal and social context in which the meaning of diabetes was constructed.M.Sc