University of SaskatchewanHARVEST
  • Login
  • Submit Your Work
  • About
    • About HARVEST
    • Guidelines
    • Browse
      • All of HARVEST
      • Communities & Collections
      • By Issue Date
      • Authors
      • Titles
      • Subjects
      • This Collection
      • By Issue Date
      • Authors
      • Titles
      • Subjects
    • My Account
      • Login
      JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
      View Item 
      • HARVEST
      • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      • View Item
      • HARVEST
      • Electronic Theses and Dissertations
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      • View Item

      From Cyberspace to the Home-Place: Interpreting Online Communication of Homebirth in Canada

      Thumbnail
      View/Open
      CARLSON-THESIS.pdf (339.5Kb)
      Date
      2014-04-15
      Author
      Carlson, Allison
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Level
      Masters
      Metadata
      Show full item record
      Abstract
      This thesis investigated online communication of women utilizing a homebirth forum in order to understand why Canadian women are choosing homebirth methods instead of the mainstream dominant trend of hospital births, and how a sense of community is created through an online forum. For this research fifty posts were selected from fifteen different threads within the homebirth forum group on BabyCenter. The homebirth forum group was followed for approximately one month, and a total of thirty-four women are represented in the posting sample analyzed. Using content analysis techniques, four recurring themes were extracted – Control, Home, Hospitals, and Community – with at least four sub-themes for each identified. It was found that women choose homebirth for a myriad of factors but predominantly because homebirth allows for the ability to have a better sense of control, choice, and comfort over their birthing desires. As well, a sense of community is created in an online capacity because of the commonality of interests between the forum users. The solidarity of the homebirth community is built upon advice, empathy and situational understanding.
      Degree
      Master of Arts (M.A.)
      Department
      Archaeology and Anthropology
      Program
      Anthropology
      Copyright Date
      March 2014
      URI
      http://hdl.handle.net/10388/ETD-2014-03-1473
      Subject
      authoritative knowledge
      homebirth
      cyberculture
      community
      Canada
      Collections
      • Graduate Theses and Dissertations
      University of Saskatchewan

      University Library

      The University of Saskatchewan's main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis.

      © University of Saskatchewan
      Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy