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This thesis can be viewed in-person by appointment only in the University Archives at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Contact the University Archives to set up an appointment during normal business hours.

"But you don't look sick": An Examination of Visual Representations of the Clinical and Lived Experiences of Chronic Illness in Instagram.

Author

Brian Timm, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Abstract

The current project examines how people living with a chronic illness use social media imagery to communicate the complexities of their lived experiences. A blended methodological approach utilizing narrative analysis and focused semiotic analysis was used to examine the imagery posted to the social media site Instagram. Images selected were posted by individual users who associated their images with the experience of living with chronic illness through the use of hashtags related to chronic illness, such as #chronicillness, #invisibleillness, and #spoonie. The research questions proposed explore how people living with chronic illness use visual imagery to present the various facets of their identities online and communicate multiple narratives of the experience of living with a chronic illness. This study provides insight into how social media users use images on social media to create a collective narrative of living with a chronic condition, engage in self-expression, and reclaim control over how broader society views and politicizes their bodies and health.

Advisor

Sachi Sekimoto

Committee Member

Anne Kerber

Committee Member

Gina Wenger

Date of Degree

2017

Language

english

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Program of Study

Communication Studies

Department

Communication and Media

College

Arts and Humanities

Recommended Citation

Timm, B. (2017). "But you don't look sick": An examination of visual representations of the clinical and lived experiences of chronic illness in Instagram. [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Minnesota State University, Mankato.