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Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere

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posted on 2023-07-26, 13:02 authored by Sarah Chaudhary, Mark Avis, Carol Munn-Giddings
Self-help groups in the United Kingdom continue to grow in number and address virtually every conceivable health condition, but they remain the subject of very little theoretical analysis. The literature to date has predominantly focused on their therapeutic effects on individual members. And yet they are widely presumed to fulfil a broader civic role and to encourage democratic citizenship. The article uses Habermas’ model of the public sphere as an analytical tool with which to reconsider the literature on self-help groups in order to increase our knowledge of their civic functions. In doing this it also aims to illustrate the continuing relevance of Habermas’ work to our understanding of issues in health and social care. We consider, within the context of current health policies and practices, the extent to which self-help groups with a range of different forms and functions operate according to the principles of communicative rationality that Habermas deemed key to democratic legitimacy. We conclude that self-help groups’ civic role is more complex than is usually presumed and that various factors including groups’ leadership, organisational structure and links with public agencies can affect their efficacy within the public sphere.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

11

Issue number

1

Page range

59-80

Publication title

Social Theory and Health

ISSN

1477-822X

Publisher

Springer

File version

  • Published version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2013-05-16

Legacy creation date

2020-06-09

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

ARCHIVED Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education (until September 2018)

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