Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere

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Chaudhary, Sarah, Avis, Mark and Munn-Giddings, Carol (2013) Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere. Social Theory & Health, 11 (1). pp. 59-80. ISSN 1477-8211

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Official URL: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/sth/journal/v11/n1/full/sth201214a.html

Abstract

Abstract

Self-help groups in the United Kingdom continue to grow in number and address virtually every conceivable health condition, but they remain the subject of very little theoretical analysis. The literature to date has predominantly focused on their therapeutic effects on individual members. And yet they are widely presumed to fulfil a broader civic role and to encourage democratic citizenship. The article uses Habermas’ model of the public sphere as an analytical tool with which to reconsider the literature on self-help groups in order to increase our knowledge of their civic functions. In doing this it also aims to illustrate the continuing relevance of Habermas’ work to our understanding of issues in health and social care. We consider, within the context of current health policies and practices, the extent to which self-help groups with a range of different forms and functions operate according to the principles of communicative rationality that Habermas deemed key to democratic legitimacy. We conclude that self-help groups’ civic role is more complex than is usually presumed and that various factors including groups’ leadership, organisational structure and links with public agencies can affect their efficacy within the public sphere.

Item Type:	Article
RIS ID:	https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1003633
Keywords:	Habermas, Self-Help Group, Health Citizenship, Public Sphere
Schools/Departments:	University of Nottingham, UK > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1057/sth.2012.14
Depositing User:	Chamberlain, Mr Dick
Date Deposited:	22 May 2014 13:47
Last Modified:	04 May 2020 20:19
URI:	https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/3179

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