Author

Sam Migliore

Date of Award

1991

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Anthropology

Supervisor

W. Rodman

Abstract

The concept of "nerves" has received considerable attention in scholarly literature. Scholars agree that the concept represents an idiom of distress -- i.e., a culturally recognized and accepted means by which individuals can communicate their pain and suffering to significant others. In the dissertation, I make use of ethnographic data, including case histories of "nerves" sufferers, to examine the extent to which this conclusion applies to the Sicilian-Canadian "nerves" complex. My findings are consistent with the views expressed by other researchers.

The phenomenon, however, is much more complex; it does not serve solely as a means of expressing distress. Among Sicilian-Canadians the concept can be manipulated, in both medical and non-medical situations, to generate a number of alternative messages. My second goal in the dissertation, then, is to examine the many meanings people attach to the term within the context of Sicilian-Canadian belief and action. I argue that the "nerves" idiom also operates as an effective impression management technique. Individuals can make use of the concept to promote or maintain a positive image of themselves within the community. At a more general level of analysis, the phenomenon allows Sicilian-Canadians to voice their discontentment with certain aspects of the immigration experience. As part of this discussion I examine how these alternative messages are linked to the "language of distress".

Since other folk concepts may also serve as idioms of distress, I have created a classificatory model that allows me to compare and contrast "nerves" with these other phenomena. The model contributes to our understanding distress idioms by facilitating both intra- and crosscultural comparison. Finally, the dissertation addresses the implications of my findings for both the general study of "nerves", and the provision of health-care to Sicilian-Canadian patients. The work, then, has both a theoretical and an applied focus.


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