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University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
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How Does The Social World Shape The Experience Of A Rare Disease? Social Position And The Development, Progression, And Medical Care For People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Jennifer A. Andersen
How Does The Social World Shape The Experience Of A Rare Disease? Social Position And The Development, Progression, And Medical Care For People With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Jennifer A. Andersen
Department of Sociology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
This dissertation focuses on the implications of social position and life course on the experience of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Using a sociology in medicine frame, I test three theoretical perspectives (fundamental cause theory, social determinants of health, and life course theory) to determine the influence of social conditions on the development and progression of, and medical care for, people with ALS (pALS). Further, I use ALS as an exemplar of the need for a sociology of disease.
Using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis National Registry, I first assess the association of social position with the reported onset location at the …