Patients Participation and Transformation of Society

In modern times, the main disease structure has changed from infectious disease to chronic disease, and many people are now living with illness. Despite the patient’s current situation, society still expects people with disease to behave consistent with the sick role which T. Parson’s previously defined. Once people are diagnosed, for example, as a cancer patient, they may lose their job and social participation opportunities and their hope to live. To change this situation, people living with illnesses and disabilities do a variety of things, for example, changing the illness image and repealing social stigma which is related with diseases by collaborating with other stakeholders such as medical and health professionals, persons from the workplace, fellow patients (peers) and their community. Though there are many challenges, we can see the collective impact and social transformation as results of this movement,

By exchanging information among the international sociological scholars, this Session aims to explore the challenge for stakeholders in each society of theoretical and empirical research on the movement of patients and supporters who will change this social norm that will challenge social barriers and stigma, and strengthen discussions on a global level. The studies conducted at local, national and international levels that contribute to conceptualization and/or methodological and empirical developments in this field are welcome.