Reading Questions

Arthur Kleinman

“ The Vulnerability of Pain and the Pain of Vulnerability”

In The Illness Narratives: Suffering, Healing, and the Human Condition

People, Places, Concepts and Questions

People, Places and Concepts

Howie

Illness narratives

Somatization

Questions

1. What is somatization? How does Kleinman link somatization to the experience of chronic illness, such as chronic pain? Can you think of examples of somatization in your own lives and the lives of those around you?

2. How does Howie Harris tell the story of his experience with chronic pain? How does Kleinman analyze this narrative?

3. How does Kleinman’s use of illness narratives compare to Singer/Baer/Long/Pavlotksi’s discussion in Chapter 3 of their book?