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Invia un commento Stigma e malattia: dall’identità screditata alla dignità ritrovata attraverso forme di riconoscimento simbolico e sociale
Abstract
Lo stigma associato alla malattia si configura come un dispositivo simbolico e culturale che incide in profondità sulle traiettorie biografiche dei malati, sulle relazioni sociali e sui percorsi di cura. Muovendo dai classici della sociologia e dell’antropologia medica fino agli approcci più contemporanei, l’articolo mostra come lo stigma debba essere inteso non come residuo culturale, ma come un determinante sociale della salute, in grado di riprodurre disuguaglianze e vulnerabilità. Attraverso l’analisi di diverse condizioni patologiche stigmatizzate, si evidenzia il nesso tra rappresentazioni culturali, rapporti di potere e marginalizzazione istituzionale. Nelle conclusioni vengono discusse alcune linee di decostruzione dello stigma in ambito sanitario: la riformulazione dei registri discorsivi sulla malattia, la valorizzazione delle narrazioni biografiche delle persone malate e dei loro caregiver, nonché una concezione relazionale e collettiva della cura. In questa prospettiva, lo stigma può trasformarsi da meccanismo di esclusione a leva per ripensare, in chiave inclusiva, il rapporto tra società, malattia e cura.
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