Advisor(s)
Cynthia Ryan
Committee Member(s)
Jaclyn Wells
Kerry Madden-Lunsford
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
6-18-2026
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English (MAE)
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Arts & Humanities
Abstract
This thesis takes a researched narrative approach to examining health, illness, and identity within the context of a complex mother-daughter relationship. The influence of religion and culture on health outcomes and practices reveal embedded beliefs about personal responsibility and survival shared between mother and daughter. The author incorporates work by Erving Goffman, Judy Segal, and Robert Crawford related to performance, identity, Healthism, and biomedicine. These theoretical frameworks, alongside the author and her mother’s interpersonal beliefs, frame the tension between each woman’s understanding of control, character, and worth as they navigate illness and healing.
Keywords
Assimilation;Healthism;Performance;Religion
ProQuest ID
Recommended Citation
Yoakum-Jones, Anaya, "Mom'S Hands" (2026). ETDs from 2020-2029. 199.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-2020s/199
