Uncertain Futures: Communication and Culture in Childhood Cancer Treatment (Wiley Blackwell Studies in Discourse and Culture)

This book examines children and young people’s attempts to participate in conversations about their own treatment throughout uncertain cancer trajectories, including the events leading up to diagnosis, treatment, remission, relapse, and cure or death. Clearly and compellingly written, Clemente relies on a new multi-layered method to identify six cancer communication strategies Illustrates that communication is central to how children, parents, and healthcare professionals constitute, influence, and make sense of the social worlds they inhabit—or that they want to inhabit Provides ethnographic case studies of childhood cancer patients in Spain, using children’s own words Examines the challenges of how to talk to and how to encourage patients’ involvement in treatment discussions In his critique of the “telling” versus “not telling” debates, Clemente argues that communication should be adjusted to the children’s own needs, and that children’s own questions can indicate how much or little they want to be involved This book examines children and young people's attempts to participate in conversations about their own treatment throughout uncertain cancer trajectories, including the events leading up to diagnosis, treatment, remission, relapse, and cure or death. Clearly and compellingly written, Clemente relies on a new multi-layered method to identify six cancer communication strategies Illustrates that communication is central to how children, parents, and healthcare professionals constitute, influence, and make sense of the social worlds they inhabit—or that they want to inhabit Provides ethnographic case studies of childhood cancer patients in Spain, using children's own words Examines the challenges of how to talk to and how to encourage patients' involvement in reatment discussions In his critique of the "telling" versus "not telling" debates, Clemente argues that communication should be adjusted to the children's own needs, and that children's own questions can indicate how much or little they want to be involved Uncertain Futures is the winner of the 15th Annual Modest Reixach Prize. 1. Children : contributions to communication and illness -- 2. A linguistic anthropologist in a pediatric cancer unit -- 3. Living and dealing with cancer -- 4. Co-constructing uncertainty -- 5. Engaging in communication at Catalonia Hospital -- 6. Patient pressure and medical authority -- 7. The limits of optimism at the end of treatment -- 8. Conclusion. Ignasi Clemente. Includes bibliographical references and index. Content: Children : contributions to communication and illness -- A linguistic anthropologist in a pediatric cancer unit -- Living and dealing with cancer -- Co-constructing uncertainty -- Engaging in communication at Catalonia Hospital -- Patient pressure and medical authority -- The limits of optimism at the end of treatment. This book examines children and young people s attempts to participate in conversations about their own treatment throughout uncertain cancer trajectories, including the events leading up to diagnosis, treatment, remission, relapse, and cure or death.