'We've Done Drugs Keith Richards Never Heard Of': A Qualitative Study of Young Adult Cancer Narratives Online

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Date

2008-06

Authors

Pontius, Kathleen S., 1981-

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Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to explore the communication young adult cancer survivors develop to cope with the cancer experience. This qualitative study incorporates interviews with 16 young adult cancer patients. Working within the framework of Charland's (1987) theory of constitutive rhetoric, the data reveal that young adult cancer patients do not believe that they are a part of the dominant cancer narrative. However, through the use of Web-based communication resources, young adult cancer survivors are developing and validating alternative cancer narratives that better encompass their experiences with the disease. The results of this study expose the marginalization of this segment of the cancer community and show how the participatory nature of the virtual world empowers the young adult cancer population to reconstitute cancer by developing and validating more inclusive cancer narratives.

Description

x, 107 p. A print copy of this title is available from the UO Libraries, under the call number: KNIGHT HV547 .P66 2008

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