Aliens Quote by Susan Sontag
“The fact that illness is associated with the poor --who are, from the perspective of the privileged, aliens in one's midst --reinforces the association of illness with the foreign with an exotic, often primitive place.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Illness as Metaphor, 1978
Illness is framed as foreign and primitive, reinforcing stigma against the poor.
In simple terms: Illness is seen as exotic and alien.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge disease metaphors.
Themes
stigma
health
social inequality
language
power
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
critical
When to use this quote
- public health policy
- media reporting
- clinical communication
- education
- advocacy
Key Concepts
medical metaphor
othering
social construction
Questions to Reflect On
- How do disease metaphors affect patient care?
- What alternatives promote humane language?
A Different Perspective
Metaphors can obscure scientific understanding and empathy.
![“Anthropology has always struggled with an intense, fascinated repulsion towards its subject… [The anthropologist] submits himself to the exotic to confirm his own inner alienation as an urban intellectual.” quote by Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fe1/susan-sontag-332_alienation_anthropology-has-always-struggled-with-a_15322.jpg)
