Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere
Abstract 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...
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| Format: | Article |
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Palgrave Macmillan
2013
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/3179/ |
| _version_ | 1848790971369652224 |
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| author | Chaudhary, Sarah Avis, Mark Munn-Giddings, Carol |
| author_facet | Chaudhary, Sarah Avis, Mark Munn-Giddings, Carol |
| author_sort | Chaudhary, Sarah |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Abstract
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. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:21:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-3179 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:21:05Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | Palgrave Macmillan |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-31792020-05-04T20:19:54Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/3179/ Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere Chaudhary, Sarah Avis, Mark Munn-Giddings, Carol Abstract 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. Palgrave Macmillan 2013 Article PeerReviewed Chaudhary, Sarah, Avis, Mark and Munn-Giddings, Carol (2013) Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere. Social Theory & Health, 11 (1). pp. 59-80. ISSN 1477-8211 Habermas Self-Help Group Health Citizenship Public Sphere http://www.palgrave-journals.com/sth/journal/v11/n1/full/sth201214a.html doi:10.1057/sth.2012.14 doi:10.1057/sth.2012.14 |
| spellingShingle | Habermas Self-Help Group Health Citizenship Public Sphere Chaudhary, Sarah Avis, Mark Munn-Giddings, Carol Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere |
| title | Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere |
| title_full | Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere |
| title_fullStr | Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere |
| title_full_unstemmed | Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere |
| title_short | Beyond the therapeutic: a Habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere |
| title_sort | beyond the therapeutic: a habermasian view of self-help groups’ place in the public sphere |
| topic | Habermas Self-Help Group Health Citizenship Public Sphere |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/3179/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/3179/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/3179/ |