Historical and Cultural Aspects of Politeness in Constructing Narrative Coherence in Patient and Doctor Communication
Historical and Cultural Aspects of Politeness in Constructing Narrative Coherence in Patient and Doctor Communication

Summary/Abstract: This paper aims at showing a study on how doctors as well as patients try to negotiate in the process of communication with special attention to the aspect of narrative in the medical interactions and the concept of politeness that is culturally and historically shaped. The study also analyzes the approach of Narrative Medicine (NM) which proposes patients the “space” in which to create their narratives. The findings show that both patients as well as doctors try to create narrative coherence based on cultural and partially historical expectations. Generally, the analysis indicates that narrative and historically and culturally determined politeness plays an essential part in forming relevant meanings in medical interactions between the doctor and the patient.

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