008: Ethnographic Insights into the Legitimacy Work of Chronic Illness

On today's episode, we have Jenna Kerr, MA Counselling Psychology Student at Western University. She’s joining us to talk about how qualitative research has played a role in her educational journey, her honours research, and her hopes for how healthcare providers can think more creatively about what it means to provide care.

Please note, this episode was recorded in summer 2025 and so minor details such as educational titles have changed since the time of recording.

References from the episode:

• Contested illness, contested identity: How women with fibromyalgia construct legitimacy online by Jenna Kerr and Carey DeMichelis
• The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman (front stage and back stage behaviour)
• Institutional Ethnography: A Sociology For People by Dorothy Smith
• Pain BC
• “...chronic pain serves as an affront to the concept of the time-constrained legitimacy of the “sick” role – one which prescribes that the patient should eventually get better, or die” —Anna Gottlieb 
• Chilliwack Youth Health Center
• Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma & Politicizing Your Practice by Dr Jennifer Mullan

While not mentioned in the episode, we’re thrilled to share an article Jenna co-wrote with Linda Pardy that has since been published, Work-integrated learning: Fifteen years of learning, listening, and reflection.