The circuit of symbolic violence in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) (I): A preliminary study, 2021, Gimeno Torrent

Abstract

Objective: How can it be that a disease as serious as CFS affecting such a large number of people could be so unknown to the general population? The answer given to this question is based on Pierre Bourdieu’s analyzes of symbolic violence.

Method: The “letters to the editor” by CFS patients to three national Spanish newspapers were subjected to various qualitative and quantitative analyzes.

Results: Based on the qualitative analyzes and their theoretical interpretation, 13 mechanisms of symbolic violence were identified: non-recognition, institutionalized un-care, condescension, authorized imposition of illegitimate verdicts, delegitimization, disintegration, imposition of discourse, euphemization, silencing, invisibilization, isolation, uncommunication, and self-blaming. Multiple Correspondence Analysis made it possible to identify that the structural mechanisms (non-recognition, disintegration) were combined with the most symbolic ones, which came to the forefront producing the observed effects of symbolic violence. The 13 clusters obtained in the Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering confirmed this result.

Paywall, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07399332.2021.1925900

 

Sounds interesting. Understandably paywalled, but unfortunately would be expensive for individuals to pay for all articles of interest.

 

It's available as a PDF via Xavier's website: https://www.xaviergimeno.net/files/CFS_symbolic_violence_1en.pdf

 

I guess they don't believe in paragraphs in Spain!

 

Links to full article in English and Spanish from author.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1404476154304729102

 

I came across Bourdieu when doing my Masters forty years ago and answered an exam question on him in one of the papers. Not relevant to S4ME I know but after a gap of 40 years, I found it interesting to come across him again and see his work being used as the theoretical underpinning explaining the world of people with ME. Gimeno is using some of his more recent work rather than that around in the 1980s.


The emphasis on the importance of "the social relations of power" as an explanation for why such a serious illness (ME) is ignored is spot on.


"To put it briefly, most well-integrated people (who ......are the majority) give a cognitive advantage to the established way of doing things, as it cannot be otherwise, so that, by omission and without knowing it, they end up to define reality in favor of the most powerful and against, to the detriment of those who have less power, which end up being completely relegated to a subordinated status (Bourdieu, 1991") ( X.Gimeno, 2021)

This reminds me of the discussion with @Hilda Bastian on the Cochrane thread, on how the BPS group by virtue of their more powerful status have taken control of the language used to describe advocates for PWME as " activists" etc. Symbolic violence. Indeed.

 

I have been repeatedly described this way--including in a BMJ news article. With my academic credentials omitted.

 

If people disagreeing with the wonderfulness of CBT or GET are accorded their academic or professional status this undermines the narrative of the irrational patient. One wonders if NICE are now also subsumed within the term ‘activists’.

 

@Penelope McMillan

Thank you!

 

Xavier Gimeno is currently having a debate with Sten Helmfrid on twitter about subjective/objective outcome measures.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1428962152602378246

 

Xavier Gimeno is unlikely to change his mind. His is a belief based on emotion not likely amenable to reason. The emotional basis of the belief is an attachment to a conceptual system. It cannot be tested for weakness only defended.

ETA: a thought on clarification. Conceptual system here could also be rendered ideology. And despite clear and robust evidence that this system is flawed there is no movement from the BPS invested in this idea.

In desperation wanting their lives back many PwME have believed and tried this treatment with either no effect or to their detriment. In desperation wanting their lives back many PwME have believed.

The BPS cabal have used co-ersive measures to maintain their irrational belief using straw man arguments that avoid any real issue of science, gas-lighting of PwME as 'anti-science activists' (meant to be pejorative and to dismiss our experience) and use the significant power imbalance between ME sufferer and 'eminent' expert to keep their narrative front and centre in the mainstream press for years.

Things are changing. It will be a rare BSP bird that starts to challenge their beliefs. We see this now as things change with the 'without this there is nothing" defence.

The sad part is this ideology is only a part of a larger ideology that includes the supporters behind the BPS cabal. It has at it's heart a dim view of humanity and an exceptionalism of those who support their views.