Abstract
We analyze the implications of the diagnosis of dyslexia in the production of meanings about the experiences related to this condition, from the perspective of different social actors in different fields of interactions. We used the narratives method in dialogue with the concepts of “normality” and “pathology”, “ideology” and “culture” and with the theoretical-conceptual field of “Sociology of Diagnosis”. We conducted 19 narrative interviews with social actors differently positioned in the social structure, recruited from the social network Facebook, in the group “Dyslexia and Parents”. We discussed the socio-historical context of social construction of the diagnostic category “dyslexia”; the pilgrimage by diagnosis, the barriers and conflicts found in the health and education systems; the importance of the biomedical diagnosis for the significance of the experience of illness by dyslexia; the role and functions of the diagnosis of dyslexia for the construction of identity marks, as well as for the search for repositioning and reordering of the daily life and for the recognition and access to rights in public spaces. The diagnosis of dyslexia was interpreted as a main character that presents positive and negative functions in the daily life of people living with this condition.
Keywords:
dyslexia; diagnosis; sociology of diagnosis, narratives