Page 200 - 《社会》2021年第2期

生命历程中的关键时刻与时间重构

CHEN Xinxiang WANG Jie
Abstract： The existing literature on life course study mostly places individual life
course events on objective timelines and lacks attention to individuals’ subjective
experience of time. Terminally ill elderly cancer patients from the LF hospital in
Shanghai are selected for this study to examine the impact of the moment of truth when
patients are informed of their diagnoses on their subjective perception of time. The study
finds four major changes occurred after this critical moment：（1）Reconstructions of self鄄
identity；（2）Compression and extension of time in life鄄course narratives；（3）Perception
of time affected by pain and suffering；and （4）Time structure impacted by treatment
schedules and hospital appointments. We further examine the influence of social work
intervention on patients’ subjective perception of time and how social workers help
patients regain values of life. Active involvement by social workers at the end of life care
empowers elderly cancer patients in multiple ways. Through cognitive intervention on
reconstruction of time structure，social workers help patients to fulfill their unfulfilled
wishes，to form a new narrative of their life story through “photo albums”，to alter
subjective perception of the passing of time，and to have positive anticipation of the
future and healthier mental state. The findings in this study are also applicable to other
groups who have also experienced “moment of truth” and suffered setbacks in their life
course. Finally，this study provides many insights for the further development of life
course theory，and promotes social work practice，especially the end of life care
intervention service guided by life course theory.
Keywords：life course ， moment of truth ， time reconstruction ， cancer patients

一、引言

国家癌症中心 2019 年公布的统计数据显示，恶性肿瘤占我国居民
1
全部死因的 23.91％， 成为威胁人们健康的头号杀手。 癌症是一种与衰
老有着密切联系的疾病， 绝大多数癌症患者的年龄在 65 岁以上（陈克
能、 徐光炜，2001），70 岁以上的老年癌症患者占患者总数的一半以上
（ Aunan，et al.，2017）。 随着我国老龄化时代的到来，癌症已成为严重威

1. 数据来源于《2019 年全国癌症报告》，发布于国家肿瘤规范化诊治质控中心网站 http:
//www.china-rt.cn/special/846.html。

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