Biographical Disruption and Chronic Illness: A Sociological Analysis

The article titled “Theoretical Explanation Aimed at Understanding the Experience Process of Chronic Diseases: Biographical Disruption” by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nurullah Kurutkan offers a comprehensive sociological framework to understand the illness experience in chronic diseases, focusing on the concept of biographical disruption (BB). Originally conceptualized by Michael Bury (1982), BB refers to the interruption of an individual’s life trajectory caused by chronic illness, influencing their identity, social roles, and future plans.

The article systematically deconstructs BB’s theoretical foundations, beginning with a critique of dominant sociological paradigms such as the medicalization thesis, Parsons’ “sick role,” and interactionist theory. Kurutkan argues these models inadequately capture the lived experience of chronic illness, particularly the enduring identity disruptions and social consequences.

A notable strength of this study lies in its integration of bibliometric and scientometric analyses. The author conducts co-occurrence and co-citation analyses using Web of Science data and R-based Bibliometrix tools. These analyses map the intellectual structure of the BB literature and reveal its thematic evolution. For instance, major clusters include “health psychology and sociology,” “chronic illness and identity,” and “narrative approaches to illness.” Through this, the study highlights the interdisciplinary expansion and diversification of BB-related research.

Kurutkan also categorizes six theoretical expansions of BB: self-identity work, liminality, status passage, chronic illness trajectory, practice theory, and self-management theory. These extensions show how BB interacts with other sociological constructs to explain how patients adapt to or resist the effects of chronic illness.

The article further explores “biographical reinforcement,” “biographical continuity,” and “biographical reconstruction” as evolving variants of BB, emphasizing that illness can lead not only to disruption but also to identity reformation and psychological resilience.

Importantly, the author identifies research gaps—especially the underrepresentation of diseases like hypothyroidism, fibromyalgia, COPD, and endometriosis in BB-focused literature—and proposes a future research agenda targeting these conditions.

In conclusion, this study enriches the health sociology literature by positioning BB as both a critical lens and a dynamic construct for understanding chronic illness. Its layered conceptual approach, supported by robust scientometric mapping, offers new pathways for empirical inquiry and theoretical development.

Reference: Kurutkan, M. N. (2023). Theoretical explanation aimed at understanding the experience process of chronic diseases: Biographical disruption. Isparta Okulu Dergisi, 3(1), 1–22. https://ispartaokulu.com

Podcast Link: https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/99271736-51b0-4912-9b1e-cc3e05ff780f/audio

Glossary of Key Concepts

1. Biographical Disruption (BB)
   A term coined by Michael Bury (1982) describing the profound interruption that chronic illness causes in a person’s expected life trajectory, affecting identity, social roles, and future plans.
2. Chronic Illness
   A long-term health condition, such as diabetes, cancer, or arthritis, that typically requires ongoing medical attention and significantly affects daily life.
3. Medical Sociology
   An academic field that examines how social factors influence health, illness experiences, medical practices, and healthcare systems.
4. Illness Experience
   The subjective interpretation and lived reality of being ill, including emotional, psychological, and social dimensions.
5. Sick Role (Parsons)
   A sociological concept proposed by Talcott Parsons suggesting that the sick person takes on a specific social role that includes rights (e.g., exemption from responsibilities) and obligations (e.g., to seek treatment).
6. Medicalization Thesis
   A theory that critiques how non-medical problems are increasingly defined and treated as medical issues, often overlooking social contexts.
7. Interactionist Theory
   A micro-level sociological perspective that focuses on the meanings and interactions individuals assign to illness in their everyday lives.
8. Biographical Reinforcement
   A concept suggesting that rather than disrupting life narratives, illness can strengthen personal identity or existing life themes.
9. Biographical Continuity
   A response to chronic illness where individuals maintain a coherent sense of identity and life narrative despite the illness.
10. Biographical Reconstruction
    The process by which individuals rebuild or redefine their identities and life narratives in response to chronic illness.
11. Liminality
    A transitional, in-between state experienced during illness where usual social roles and identities become unclear or suspended.
12. Status Passage Theory
    A framework that views illness as a social transition in which individuals move from one status (healthy) to another (sick), often losing or redefining their societal roles.
13. Chronic Illness Trajectory
    A concept describing how the course of chronic illness unfolds over time, affecting not just health but also social, emotional, and occupational dimensions.
14. Practice Theory
    Focuses on how individuals and groups manage illness through routines, daily practices, and habitual actions in social contexts.
15. Self-Management Theory
    Highlights the strategies individuals use to cope with and control chronic illness, including medication adherence, lifestyle changes, and stress management.
16. Biographical Oscillation
    Refers to the continuous fluctuations between stability and disruption in the life narratives of people living with chronic illness.
17. Biographical Erosion
    The gradual wearing down of a person’s identity or life narrative due to the prolonged experience of illness.
18. Recurrent Disruption
    Indicates that disruption is not a one-time event but may happen repeatedly, especially in conditions with relapses or fluctuating symptoms.
19. Stigma
    A negative social label or discrediting attribute that affects how individuals with chronic illness are perceived and treated by society.
20. Illness Narrative
    A personal story that individuals create to make sense of their illness, encompassing experiences, interpretations, and coping strategies.