The Ins and Outs of Doctor-Patient Relations in Japan
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TL;DR
Analysis of doctor-patient relations in Japan from an interactionist perspective, based on interviews of medical personnel and patients and on participant-observation in a number of medical institutions shows how both doctors and patients attempt to manipulate the relationship to provide a desired degree of mutual reliance.
Abstract
This paper analyzes doctor-patient relations in Japan from an interactionist perspective, based on interviews of medical personnel and patients and on participant-observation in a number of medical institutions. After describing Japanese categories of social relationships, the author shows how, by utilizing symbolic behavior, both doctors and patients attempt to manipulate the relationship to provide a desired degree of mutual reliance.