1. Introduction
Social construction of illness is the concept that the meaning and experience of illness is not just based on biomedical knowledge but also developed through interaction in a social and cultural context (Conrad & Barker, 2011). The topic of illness as a social construct then impacts how the afflicted cope with the illness and how the society responds to them (Skrzypek, 2014).
In Rain Man (1988), the plot revolves around Charlie, a young car dealer, on a road trip with his new-found autistic brother, Raymond. The social construct of autism is evident through the eyes of Charlie and also the interactions between Raymond and other characters in the movie. One of the key aspects of the social construct of illness is its ever-changing …show more content…
In Rain Man, Raymond showed problems in communicating, was unable to express emotions and followed his routines strictly. Dustin Hoffman, the actor who played Raymond, was said to have researched and observed numerous autistic savants for his role and his portrayal of a high-level functioning autistic person is mainly congruent with the definition set by medical professionals. Hence, the movie improved public awareness on autism not only in the late 1980s when the movie came out but also until today. Rain Man received positive reviews from the masses and won Best Picture for both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes among many other awards (Treffert, n.d.). From this, we can infer that Rain Man is widely accepted and resonates with how society perceives, or at least wants to perceive, autism to …show more content…
Referring to the principles of Symbolic Interactionism, people are able modify their perceptions because they can interact with themselves as they assess their situations (Crooks, 2001). In Rain Man, there is a shift in the social construct of autism here because from his individual experiences, he realised that he cared for Raymond and that he has started to accept Raymond’s initially weird behaviour. This acceptance might have stemmed from Susanna’s caring attitude towards Raymond and the acceptance that was shown by Dr Bruner and Vern. The portrayal of Raymond seemingly understanding certain social norms and trusting Charlie also led to the shift in autism stereotype. It gave Charlie and audience hope that Raymond can function in society in the future. The idea of inclusion of the autistic into society is promoted by powerful bodies of medical professionals and associations against the stigmatization of the developmentally-disabled resulting in a shift in the construction of autism in society (Gabbard, 2010). Sometimes, autistic persons are presented as not so different from the rest of society and the line between what is normal behaviour and autism blurs (Draaisma, 2009). The implications of this shift in social construct of autism is ideally that of a more inclusive society that tries to adapt to the needs of the disabled (Treffert,
Social construction of illness is the concept that the meaning and experience of illness is not just based on biomedical knowledge but also developed through interaction in a social and cultural context (Conrad & Barker, 2011). The topic of illness as a social construct then impacts how the afflicted cope with the illness and how the society responds to them (Skrzypek, 2014).
In Rain Man (1988), the plot revolves around Charlie, a young car dealer, on a road trip with his new-found autistic brother, Raymond. The social construct of autism is evident through the eyes of Charlie and also the interactions between Raymond and other characters in the movie. One of the key aspects of the social construct of illness is its ever-changing …show more content…
In Rain Man, Raymond showed problems in communicating, was unable to express emotions and followed his routines strictly. Dustin Hoffman, the actor who played Raymond, was said to have researched and observed numerous autistic savants for his role and his portrayal of a high-level functioning autistic person is mainly congruent with the definition set by medical professionals. Hence, the movie improved public awareness on autism not only in the late 1980s when the movie came out but also until today. Rain Man received positive reviews from the masses and won Best Picture for both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes among many other awards (Treffert, n.d.). From this, we can infer that Rain Man is widely accepted and resonates with how society perceives, or at least wants to perceive, autism to …show more content…
Referring to the principles of Symbolic Interactionism, people are able modify their perceptions because they can interact with themselves as they assess their situations (Crooks, 2001). In Rain Man, there is a shift in the social construct of autism here because from his individual experiences, he realised that he cared for Raymond and that he has started to accept Raymond’s initially weird behaviour. This acceptance might have stemmed from Susanna’s caring attitude towards Raymond and the acceptance that was shown by Dr Bruner and Vern. The portrayal of Raymond seemingly understanding certain social norms and trusting Charlie also led to the shift in autism stereotype. It gave Charlie and audience hope that Raymond can function in society in the future. The idea of inclusion of the autistic into society is promoted by powerful bodies of medical professionals and associations against the stigmatization of the developmentally-disabled resulting in a shift in the construction of autism in society (Gabbard, 2010). Sometimes, autistic persons are presented as not so different from the rest of society and the line between what is normal behaviour and autism blurs (Draaisma, 2009). The implications of this shift in social construct of autism is ideally that of a more inclusive society that tries to adapt to the needs of the disabled (Treffert,