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Boy Interrupted - Biographical disruption during the transition to adulthood
Nikki Wedgwood1, Louisa Smith1, Tereza Hendl1
1Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Sociology of Health & Illness
|July 31, 2019
Summary
This study explores how chronic illness impacts a young man's life, showing that social factors like ethnicity and gender, alongside life stage, shape his experience. It highlights the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities navigating adulthood.
Area of Science:
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- Biographical Studies
- Gender Studies
Background:
- Existing research on biographical disruption often focuses on adults with chronic illnesses.
- Studies frequently use heterogeneous samples, limiting nuanced understanding.
- The intersection of social structures and individual experiences in chronic illness is underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the life-history of a young man with a chronic health condition.
- To examine how life-phase, ethnicity, and gender influence biographical disruption.
- To understand the challenges of integrating a disabling condition into one's identity and life trajectory.
Main Methods:
- Life-history case study analysis.
- Qualitative research methodology.
- In-depth examination of an Australian man's experiences.
Main Results:
- Biographical disruption is shaped by critical factors like life-phase, ethnicity, and gender.
- The individual experienced marginalization within the Australian gender order prior to illness onset.
- Lack of guidance on adapting to a new bodily reality stalled his transition to adulthood.
Conclusions:
- Chronic illness onset during adolescence significantly impacts identity formation and adult transition.
- Social structures (ethnicity, gender) interact with personal circumstances to shape experiences of disability.
- The case illustrates a stalled transition to adulthood for individuals with disabling conditions, termed 'a boy interrupted'.
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