4.2f Narratives

Narratives are stories people tell that explain social life by showing how individuals experience, interpret, and understand the social world (Elwick & Silbey, 1995). Individuals use narratives to construct their identities for themselves and others. Identity is characterized by its relationship to others in the social structure. It includes the roles, labels, and categories they and others use to describe themselves. People make choices that reflect their identity and use narratives informed by their identity to explain these choices (Small et al., 2010). For instance, a family may have an elderly family member move in with them and justify this choice as what a “good” son or daughter does. This narrative minimizes that they do not have the money to make another choice, like moving them into a skilled nursing facility.

People seek to share narratives that are consistent with their identities. However, what people say they did and what they did are not always consistent (Mohr et al., 2020). For example, someone who has committed a crime does not necessarily view themselves negatively. Instead, they may see themselves as a good person who made a mistake, keeping a positive identity. Still, others internalize the stigma of being a criminal and have a negative self-concept as a result (Moore et al., 2018).

Illness Identity

Researchers have also analyzed narratives to understand how people manage or change their identities over time. In one study, the researchers examined the narratives of 90 people diagnosed with breast cancer, chronic illness, or an autoimmune illness (Jeske et al., 2024). They found that the timing of diagnosis influences whether the individual takes on an illness identity. An illness identity comes from the extent a health condition is part of someone’s identity (Van Bulck et al., 2018). For example, those who learned of a diagnosis through routine breast cancer screenings “often rejected an illness identity” (p. 237).

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Research Suggests that People Who Take on an Illness Identity May Have Better Health Outcomes

In contrast, those with chronic illness may or may not have a diagnosis but identify as ill long before a diagnosis as they navigate the healthcare system, looking for answers and treatment for their symptoms. Researchers can understand how people take on an illness identity by studying the narratives of people receiving or seeking a diagnosis. Moreover, how illness shapes identity can influence health outcomes. Research finds that cardiac patients who take on an illness identity have less depression and anxiety and fewer symptoms than those who do not (Van Bulck et al., 2018). Researchers believe that patients taking on an illness identity might be taking better care of their health and, as a result, have fewer symptoms.