Lay experience can be described as the understanding of people experiences outside of formal knowledge. It highlights an important shift from an 'outsider' perspective, to one that focuses directly upon people's subjective experiences within the contexts of their daily lives. Lay experience to illness voices the ‘lifeworld’ from medical objectification. For example, doctors in the past would ask patients to tell them about their problem and try to formulate an understanding. However in modern times doctors would pay less to the experience of patient’s problems and try to generalize their problem. Learning about lay experience helps sociologist understand certain experiences of health and illness, as well as offers insight and understanding.
