Graphic Medicine. Una disciplina in cerca di autore

The paper analyses the use of graphic novels in social sciences and investigates the contribution of Graphic Medicine, an upcoming but fast-growing discipline, to sociology of health and illness. The article firstly illustrates the characteristics of comics and graphic novels as visual media able to offer multi-faceted communication opportunities, thanks to the combination of visual and textual codes. The authors secondly maintain the ability of graphic narratives to strengthen all the three elements of the Twaddle’s triad. Graphic pathographies portray the visceral aspects of the personal experience with a disease (illness) in an economic way. They expand the illness narratives of both patients and caregivers. Moreover, as part of a non-official iconography of illness and disability, graphic novels may reverse stereotypes and challenge the stigma of vulnerability, by modifying its cultural representation (sickness). Lastly, comics and graphic novels are useful in medical education, to make students critically reflect upon clinical practice and upon the biomedical conception of the disease (disease) in line with a biopsycho-social model. The authors hope for scholars to open a debate about the use of graphic narratives in social sciences, in order to highlight advantages and drawbacks of graphic based research in different field.