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Deconstructing Fatalism: Ethnographic Perspectives on Women's Decision Making about Cancer Prevention and Treatment

2011; Wiley; Volume: 25; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1548-1387.2010.01136.x

1548-1387

Elaine M. Drew, Nancy E. Schoenberg,

Health disparities and outcomes

Medical Anthropology QuarterlyVolume 25, Issue 2 p. 164-182 Deconstructing Fatalism: Ethnographic Perspectives on Women's Decision Making about Cancer Prevention and Treatment Elaine M. Drew, Elaine M. Drew Department of Family and Community MedicineMedical College of WisconsinSearch for more papers by this authorNancy E. Schoenberg, Nancy E. Schoenberg College of MedicineUniversity of KentuckySearch for more papers by this author Elaine M. Drew, Elaine M. Drew Department of Family and Community MedicineMedical College of WisconsinSearch for more papers by this authorNancy E. Schoenberg, Nancy E. Schoenberg College of MedicineUniversity of KentuckySearch for more papers by this author First published: 02 June 2011 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1548-1387.2010.01136.xCitations: 77Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Abstract Researchers have long held that fatalism (the belief in a lack of personal power or control over destiny or fate) constitutes a major barrier to participation in positive health behaviors and, subsequently, adversely affects health outcomes. In this article, we present two in-depth, ethnographic studies of rural women's health decisions surrounding cancer treatments to illustrate the complexity and contestability of the long-established fatalism construct. Narrative analyses suggest that for these women, numerous and complex factors—including inadequate access to health services, a legacy of self-reliance, insufficient privacy, combined with a culturally acceptable idiom of fatalism—foster the use of, but not necessarily a rigid conviction in, the notion of fatalism. References Cited Altekruse, S. F., C. L. Kosary, M. Krapcho, N. Neyman, R. Aminou, W. Waldron, J. Ruhl, N. Howlader, Z. Tatalovich, H. Cho, A. Mariotto, M. P. Eisner, D. R. Lewis, K. Cronin, H. S. Chen, E. J. Feuer, D. G. Stinchcomb, and B. K. Edwards, eds. 2010 SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2007, National Cancer Institute. 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