Wednesday, May 04, 2005
On-line health communities
I teach in a mass communication department and teach courses on internet culture, health and the media, and science, technology and politics. Currently, I have several graduate students who are all doing research projects on on-line health communities. One student is looking at autism discussion boards, another is studying Pro-Anorexia (Pro-Ana) websites/blogrings, and two others are conducting analyses of pregnancy discussion groups. I am very excited about these projects, as I am planning to conduct my own research about on-line health communities in the months to come, most likely related to mental health issues. In the Fall 2005 semester, I'm also hoping to organize a colloquium about on-line disease cultures and communities, with my students being the main participants. As they progress further with their research and writing, I will post updates about their (and my own) findings.
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1 comment:
Barb,
I am extremely interested in this type of research your students and you are/will be conducting. There is clearly an unseen community within elctronic communications of all types and looking specifically at health "groups" will be fascinating. Listserv groups are like tiny micrcosms in themselves such as a cloth diapering group I am part of. These things warrant anthropolgical and sociological study!!
-Jill
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