Research Paper on:
Young People Suffering from Seizures and Construction of Identity

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
the physiological function of an organ has failed, or similar explanations. In the concept of identity construction however it is believed that one can acquire and personalize a health  related identity. This is the topic covered in this interesting paper on identity construction. IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION It has been shown that cultural concepts can actually form the identity  constructs of a patients behaviors, the way in which one seeks medical treatment, and the choice of treatment in general. In instances such as these it is sometimes recommended  that a "dual medical approach" (Turner 1996, 717) be utilized so that recognition can be made not only of the illness per se but of the cultural effects as well.  This paper seeks to show that one can acquire and personalize a health related identity because of those around them. If the patient and the medical care provider do  not have a common concept of the health perception in question, it could be that medical treatment could be hindered due to the patients perception of that particular illness and  the behaviors that accompany it. This is because different cultures and different social situations teach behaviors that might be deemed different from the actual biological behaviors associated with any  particular illness. An excellent example is gay men with AIDS. Due to their own perception of what AIDS involves, many gay men can take on what could be called  an AIDS persona, exhibiting behaviors that they perceive to be AIDS-like in nature. This behavior may or may not interconnect with the biological signs and treatment for AIDS.  The identity construct is socially interpreted as well. There is a stigma attached to those with certain illnesses, and this usually stems from a cultural belief that is