Facing Distress : Distance and Proximity in Times of Illness

Distance and proximity are concepts par excellence to describe what may happen in times of illness and suffering. When one faces distress and suffering the need of proximity of the sick or suffering person may manifest itself, or the opposite, a need of distance exists. A doctor or an anthropologist may believe proximity is necessary, but the other can disagree. Illness raises questions for all individuals. The sick individual will question his or her relationship with others and being in the world. The authors of this volume take up issues of distance and proximity in illness and suffering in various situations. "Els van Dongen" is assistant professor of medical anthropology at the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands). "Ruth Kutalek" is medical anthropologist at the Department of Ethnomedicine of the Institute for the History of Medicine, Vienna (Austria).