[Air-l] RE: Wanted: Chapter on the Web and self-help, for "Web.Studies" book

Tue Jun 4 07:36:33 PDT 2002

Dear David and Ross, 

I am a PhD student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, currently completing the second year of my PhD studies in Media and Communications. I am supervised by Professor Roger Silverstone. 
My research focuses on women's use of the Internet in relation to their experience of breast cancer. As my research concerns similar issues to those in which you are interested for the book you are editing, I believe I can provide the kind of chapter that you are looking for.   

My research focuses on the experience of using the Internet in the everyday lives of women with breast cancer. It analyses the significance of their online participation in breast cancer related websites, focusing on the ways in which their online engagement affects the process of illness and healing. 

The two main questions I ask are: why do women with breast cancer use the Internet in the context of their illness? What are the ways in which they use it?  
I argue that patients' use of the Internet in relation to their illness endows them with powers that enable them to cope with their new station in life. The key process in which patient-users are engaged online, and on which I focus in my account, is narrativisation and storytelling. I argue that the process of the production of a story and its telling online has therapeutic qualities and thus meaningful consequences for the ways in which patients cope with their illness.   

To address the issues expressed above the major empirical data employed are users' accounts of their experience of using the Internet in the context of their illness. 
My account is based on the analysis of interviews that I conducted (both online and face-to-face) with breast cancer patients who used the Internet in this context. In addition, I analyse texts of breast cancer related websites, employing discourse analysis. 

I hope this is a sufficient summary of the kind of paper that I can provide. Needless to say, I would be happy to provide you with any further information.  

I look forward to hearing from you,

Kind regards, 

Shani Orgad. 

*********************************
Shani Orgad
Media at LSE 
London School of Economics and Political Science
Houghton Street,
London WC2A 2AE
tel: +44 20 7955 6181
e-mail: s.s.orgad at lse.ac.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: David Gauntlett [mailto:david at theory.org.uk]
Sent: 02 June 2002 17:29
To: air-l at aoir.org
Subject: [Air-l] Wanted: Chapter on the Web and self-help, for
"Web.Studies" book

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WANTED: CHAPTER ABOUT PEOPLE USING THE
WEB FOR 'SELF-HELP' SUPPORT
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SUMMARY:

We are editing the second edition of the book
"Web.Studies: Rewiring Media Studies for the Digital
Age", and we are looking for someone who is able to write
a chapter on how the Web is used by people for 'self-
help' purposes -- for example, gaining support to get
through a particular illness, or traumatic stage of life.
Discussion of other ways in which people use the Web to
transform their everyday existence (e.g. to develop their
self-worth) would also be welcome as part of this. The
piece should be 3,500 words and written in an accessible,
introductory style.

If you are someone who could do this -- and have it
written by 15th October 2002 -- then please get in touch
with us (email david at theory.org.uk). If you can forward
this to anyone you know who might be able to help, please
do. Thank you very much.

A FEW DETAILS:

The first edition of "Web.Studies" was published in
August 2000. Several reviewers have described it as an
"excellent" introduction to new media issues for students
of media, communications, cyberculture and cultural
studies.

The website about the book (first edition) is at:
http://www.newmediastudies.com/book

The publishers, Arnold in the UK and Oxford University
Press in the USA, have asked us to prepare a Second
Edition for publication in August 2003.

The first edition was edited by David Gauntlett (me).
This time around I have invited a co-editor aboard --
Ross Horsley, also based at the Institute of
Communications Studies, University of Leeds.

The second edition of the book will be a combination of
substantially updated versions of the best chapters from
the first edition, plus several all-new chapters.

The target audience is primarily undergraduates, but of
course we would expect postgraduates, academics, and
interested other people to learn something from it too.

You get a small fee for writing the chapter -- for 3,500
words it would be UK £35, which is around US $52.
Obviously that's not much, but most academic journals
pay zero, so this is much better (!).

Contributors are likely to be academics or PhD students.
If you think you can provide the kind of chapter we are
looking for, please send a short summary of who you are
and what you would be able to cover.

Of course we will be happy to answer any questions that
potential writers may have.

Many thanks

David Gauntlett and Ross Horsley

______________________________________________

Dr David Gauntlett // david at theory.org.uk

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ics/david.htm

The media & identity website: http://www.theory.org.uk
______________________________________________

Next book, 'Media, Gender & Identity: An Introduction'
published by Routledge on 17 July 2002.
Website at http://www.theoryhead.com/gender
______________________________________________

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