Experiencing Parkinson’s Disease (Sociological Approach)

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most frequent neurodegenerative disorders typically affecting people over the age of 50. The core symptoms of Parkinson disease are bradykinesia, tremor and plastic rigidity. Social scientific research on experiencing chronic illness focuses directly on pivotal players in health care – people who are sick. Health researchers, practitioners, and policy makers may claim to represent patients’ concerns. However, they seldom obtain systematic “in-depth” views of patients’ experience of health care, much less of what it means to live with continued illness. The research on experiencing chronic illness emphasizes how people come to view themselves as chronically ill, and how illness affects their lives.