Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

[What is a disease?]

P Cathébras1

  • 1Service de médecine interne, hôpital Nord, CHU de Saint-Etienne, France.

La Revue De Medecine Interne
|January 1, 1997
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Disease is understood as both a natural category and a social construct. Medical anthropology differentiates between biological abnormalities (disease), subjective experiences (illness), and social aspects (sickness), highlighting the social construction of diagnostic categories.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

[Health anxiety: Another epidemic to prepare for].

La Revue de medecine interne·2024
Same author

Efficacy of Mepolizumab for the Treatment of Eosinophilic Cystitis: A Report of 2 Cases.

Journal of investigational allergology & clinical immunology·2023
Same author

[Chronic fatigue: What investigations? And what for?]

La Revue de medecine interne·2023
Same author

[Rhabdomyolysis with tetraparesis secondary to hepatitis E virus infection in a patient on statins].

La Revue de medecine interne·2022
Same author

["Long-haul COVID": An opportunity to address the complexity of post-infectious functional syndromes].

La Revue de medecine interne·2021
Same author

[Spontaneous periodic hypothermia syndrome: A systematic review of the literature].

La Revue de medecine interne·2021
Same journal

[Abdominal pain, fever and arthralgia in a 49-year-old woman].

La Revue de medecine interne·2026
Same journal

[Cardiorespiratory functional disorders: A transnosologic approach].

La Revue de medecine interne·2026
Same journal

[Diagnostic evaluation for suspected polycythemia].

La Revue de medecine interne·2026
Same journal

Heart involvements in systemic sclerosis beyond pulmonary hypertension: From conduction, rhythm and function defects to coronary artery disease.

La Revue de medecine interne·2026
Same journal

[Acute intermittent porphyria: When diagnostic errance jeopardizes patient health].

La Revue de medecine interne·2026
Same journal

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: Current perspectives in 2026.

La Revue de medecine interne·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Medical Anthropology
  • Sociology of Science
  • Philosophy of Medicine

Context:

  • The understanding of disease extends beyond biological definitions.
  • Medical anthropology identifies disease, illness, and sickness as distinct but related concepts.
  • Sociology of science emphasizes how cultural beliefs and social values shape scientific knowledge.

Purpose:

  • To explore the multifaceted nature of disease as both a natural phenomenon and a social construct.
  • To differentiate between the biological, experiential, and social dimensions of illness.
  • To illustrate the social construction of diagnostic categories using fibromyalgia as a case study.

Summary:

  • Disease encompasses biological abnormalities, subjective experiences of illness, and the social aspects of sickness.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Diagnostic categories are not purely objective but are constructed through interactions within specific social and historical contexts.
  • The constructivist perspective reveals how scientific knowledge, including medical diagnoses, is influenced by societal factors.

    • Impact:

    • Provides a nuanced understanding of disease beyond purely biomedical models.
    • Highlights the importance of social and cultural factors in medical diagnosis and practice.
    • Offers a framework for analyzing the social construction of other medical conditions and diagnostic categories.