Existential vulnerability: an ethnographic study of everyday lives with diabetes in Vietnam
Tine M Gammeltoft1, Bùi Thị Huyền Diệu1,2, Vũ Thị Kim Dung1,2
1Department of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Abstract:
This article asks: how can the concept of existential vulnerability help us to comprehend the human impact of chronic disease? Across the globe, the prevalence of chronic health conditions is rising dramatically, with wide-ranging consequences for human lives. Taking type II diabetes in northern Vietnam as its ethnographic case, this study explores how chronic health conditions are woven into everyday lives, altering subjectivities and social relations. Applying the notion of existential vulnerability as its analytical prism, the article explores three different dimensions of vulnerability: physical, emotional, and social. The analysis highlights the importance of a focus on social connectedness for comprehending the everyday impact of chronic disease and for the development of health care interventions in this domain.
More Related Videos
11:21Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
05:06Author Spotlight: Integrating Tai Chi with Mindfulness Training to Achieve an Effective Mind-Body Exercise
Published on: July 14, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
Diabetes: Management and Pharmacotherapy
Insulin remains the cornerstone of treatment for most patients with type 1 and many...
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Data Collection by Observations
An astronomer viewing the motion and brightness of stars in the sky and recording the data is an example of observational data collection. A botanist recording...
