A discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstie

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dc.contributor.advisorBoonzaier, Florettaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorChen, Yihuaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-03T08:33:03Z
dc.date.available2015-07-03T08:33:03Z
dc.date.issued2014en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAnorexia has the longest duration (5-7 years) of any Eating Disorders (Crow, Mitchell, Roerig, & Steffen, 2009) and the highest mortality rate (≥10%) among all psychological illness (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielsen, 2011). The person finds himself or herself unable to stop because it has become one’s identity. Recovery is seen as a process of drawing upon alternative positions to the anorexic voice and finding the “authentic” self (Weaver, Wuest, & Ciliska 2005). In recent years, pro - anorexia websites have emerged over the Internet. These websites have been criticised by health professionals for glamorising anorexia as a lifestyle choice, promoting unhealthy behaviours and normalizing, validating and reinforcing the person’s anorexic identity (Gavin, Rodham, & Poyer, 2008). Influenced by post - structuralist feminist theoretical framework, the present study employs Foucauldian discourse analysis as an analytic technique and examines the texts on the pro - anorexia website, the discursive constructions of anorexia and the (anorexic) body. The analysis revealed that there is no “authentic” self to be found. B y challenging or supporting multiple discourses, pro - anorexia users form positive subjectivities. The findings of this research also highlighted the repeated utilization of “pathologized” categories to claim and declaim the anorexic identity, to empower themselves and resist socio - cultural control. Paying attention to the socio - culturally specific discursive context in which anorexia arises and the potential benefit of pro - anorexia websites for health professionals, it allows more effective therapeutic interventions for those experiencing anorexia.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationChen, Y. (2014). <i>A discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstie</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13352en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationChen, Yihua. <i>"A discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstie."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13352en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationChen, Y. 2014. A discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstie. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Chen, Yihua AB - Anorexia has the longest duration (5-7 years) of any Eating Disorders (Crow, Mitchell, Roerig, & Steffen, 2009) and the highest mortality rate (&#8805;10%) among all psychological illness (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielsen, 2011). The person finds himself or herself unable to stop because it has become one’s identity. Recovery is seen as a process of drawing upon alternative positions to the anorexic voice and finding the “authentic” self (Weaver, Wuest, & Ciliska 2005). In recent years, pro - anorexia websites have emerged over the Internet. These websites have been criticised by health professionals for glamorising anorexia as a lifestyle choice, promoting unhealthy behaviours and normalizing, validating and reinforcing the person’s anorexic identity (Gavin, Rodham, & Poyer, 2008). Influenced by post - structuralist feminist theoretical framework, the present study employs Foucauldian discourse analysis as an analytic technique and examines the texts on the pro - anorexia website, the discursive constructions of anorexia and the (anorexic) body. The analysis revealed that there is no “authentic” self to be found. B y challenging or supporting multiple discourses, pro - anorexia users form positive subjectivities. The findings of this research also highlighted the repeated utilization of “pathologized” categories to claim and declaim the anorexic identity, to empower themselves and resist socio - cultural control. Paying attention to the socio - culturally specific discursive context in which anorexia arises and the potential benefit of pro - anorexia websites for health professionals, it allows more effective therapeutic interventions for those experiencing anorexia. DA - 2014 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2014 T1 - A discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstie TI - A discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstie UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13352 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13352
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationChen Y. A discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstie. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Psychology, 2014 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13352en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPsychologyen_ZA
dc.titleA discourse analysis of pro-anorexia webstieen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSocScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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