Conclusions
Our initial literature review provided background knowledge on the basics of breast cancer, like the underlying causes and standard treatment, as well as a sense of how patients cope with and navigate their illness.
Our ethnographic interviews reinforced and reiterated many of the points in the existing literature. But there were ideas and feelings that our interviewees raised that the articles did not.
Ethnography can complement and expand broad concepts that other anthropologists have introduced and defined. Sometimes, ethnography can challenge a well-accepted consensus. Gaining individual perspectives is vital to understanding the unique experiences of people-- when they fit within a framework, or when they deviate from what is conceived as "normal". Illness experiences may never fall completely within the bounds of our expectations.
Our ethnographic interviews reinforced and reiterated many of the points in the existing literature. But there were ideas and feelings that our interviewees raised that the articles did not.
Ethnography can complement and expand broad concepts that other anthropologists have introduced and defined. Sometimes, ethnography can challenge a well-accepted consensus. Gaining individual perspectives is vital to understanding the unique experiences of people-- when they fit within a framework, or when they deviate from what is conceived as "normal". Illness experiences may never fall completely within the bounds of our expectations.