Getting well: Impression management as stroke rehabilitation

Participant observation, interview and photographic data reveal how stroke victims are taught impression management skills to cope with the physical limitations and sick role status brought on by their ailment. Their rehabilitation process is collective, intentional and seeks to have stroke victims redefined as normal, healthy individuals. This analysis focuses on the group's work to demedicalize the social definition of their condition.I would like to acknowledge Arlie Hochschild for her assistance in guiding this paper toward publication.