The Body-Subject Perspective of ABI—A Literature Review of Qualitative Studies

A major distinction between body-object and body-subject research is that the latter explores intentionality, that is meaningful behaviour based on perception. Research exploring meaning does so to explore meaning, this meaning in context. The approach is therefore more process orientated, offering ‘thick’ description. Body-subject research around ABI is emergent with a focus upon identity, coping, adaptation, recovery and resilience. Much less research has been undertaken around the range of experiences and social lives of people with ABI. There are a number of body-subject approaches and life stories and narrative research allow the world to be defined by participants in their own terms and interpreted by the research to address many questions around meaningful behaviour in their lives. Research in this area is sensitive research, often with vulnerable people and so additional effort needs to be made to do no harm and to be of benefit to the participant. We introduce qualitative academic research and show an emergent literature from both an insider’s and outsider’s perspective, using narrative approaches and books written by professionals about their experience of supporting people with ABI.