Childless in an IVF-nation: online stigma-coping strategies in support groups for childless Israeli women

Yeshua-Katz, Daphna

doi:10.1080/1369118x.2017.1324504

Cited by 24 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Infertility is clinically defined as ‘the inability to naturally conceive, carry or deliver a healthy child’ (Deka & Sarma, 2010, p. 32). The pressure to reproduce is extremely stressful in pronatalist cultures (i.e., exalting motherhood and assuming or encouraging parenthood for all), and especially in Israel, where the Jewish-Israeli culture places a high value on parenthood (Benyamini et al., 2017; Yeshua-Katz, 2018). In a study that examined an online forum, it was found that the forum enhances a fertility narrative, in which a patient is looking for information about treatment options, undergoes multiple cycles of treatment despite repeated failures, but ultimately achieves success: a healthy baby (Lee, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, as the members of these groups are experiencing a lot of stress, daily medical treatments and environmental pressure, understanding the variables that can help them through computer-mediated support offers novel opportunities for coping with these new life challenges (Rains & Wright, 2016). A recent study investigating members of childless women online groups found that the women used group identification as a stigma-coping strategy and developed a sense of community to cope with stigma (Yeshua-Katz, 2018). Women who disclosed infertility-related information in direct ways, rather than by incremental disclosures or through third parties, to social network members, perceived higher quality support and reported greater quality of life related to their infertility experience (Steuber & High, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors Underlying Engagement in Facebook Support Groups of Female Infertility Patients

Gazit

Amichai‐Hamburger

2020

Psychol Rep

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Women dealing with infertility issues may well undergo a long process of treatments and they are also likely to feel empty, defective, inadequate and worthless. Some of these women join online support groups in order to share their experiences, get information and ease their pain. One important positive phenomenon of the Internet is the advent of online support groups. These are designed to foster well-being and increased social interaction, and to offer 24/7 availability with no geographical restrictions. This study, comprising 191 female participants who answered an online survey, focused on closed Facebook support groups, the members of which were women undergoing treatments for infertility. The study examined to what extent the degree of engagement by these women in online support groups could be predicted by external factors (family status, social and family support, the importance of the group and the duration of membership) and internal factors (extroversion, openness to experience, subjective happiness and loneliness). Findings show that higher levels of engagement in such Facebook support groups are predicted by the external factors, including having a child, longer duration of membership in the group, family support and the strongest predictor, perception of the group as important. Findings also show that higher levels of engagement in these groups are predicted by internal factors extroversion and openness to experience, as was found in previous studies of other populations. Results and future research are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Underlying Engagement in Facebook Support Groups of Female Infertility Patients

Gazit

Amichai‐Hamburger

2020

Psychol Rep

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“…The consequences of childfree lives, including the narrowed circle of friends, can be viewed in terms of Yeshua-Katz's (2018) four types of reactions to the stigma of childlessness: stigma internalization, stigma challenging, stigma avoidance and group identification. Women who avoided contacts with children could be identified as challenging the childlessness stigma and were seeking group identification with other childfree people.…”

Section: Distant (Indifferent) Relationships With Children Of Othersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Childless Women’s Relationships with Children of Others: Narratives from Two Generations in Lithuania

Šumskaitė

Gedvilaitė-Kordušienė

2021

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A childless woman who lives in a society with pronatalist values can be in a vulnerable position. In 2006, only 1.9% of Lithuanians expressed positive attitudes about childlessness, and 84.6% valued it negatively (Stakuniene and Maslauskaite 2008), signalling the pronatalist tendency of Lithuanian society. However, some studies confirm a shift from traditional to more individualistic familial attitudes (Kanopienė et al. 2015). This chapter investigates the relationship between childless women from two generations in Lithuania and the children of these women’s relatives or friends. The analysis is based on 40 semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted in 2017–2018 with single and coupled women between the ages of 28 and 71 who are voluntarily and involuntarily childless. The women of reproductive age were considering their intentions to have or not have children in the future, and some were going through infertility treatments; women over 50 reflected on permanent childlessness. Most of the interviewed women were involved in taking care of their siblings’ or close relatives’ children during a period in their lives, and in some cases, these women became substitute parents. Only a few women stated that they avoided contact with children in their personal lives.

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“…Researchers have found varied motivations for engaging in these online spaces, including strengthening people's mutual identities, enhancing their self-esteem (Amichai-Hamburger and Hayat, 2017; Wong et al , 2017), using community identification as a stigma-coping strategy and developing a sense of community (Yeshua-Katz, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Key motivations for leading Facebook communities: a uses and gratifications approach

Gazit

2021

AJIM

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PurposeFacebook community leaders, often nonprofessionals who make a personal decision to create and manage online spaces, are becoming key players on social media sites. Using the theoretical framework of the uses and gratifications theory, this paper reveals the motivations of these individuals who are responsible for the community's information flow, limits and members' well-being. While some studies have begun acknowledging community leaders' important role in the social media, very little is known about their motivations for creating and leading the communities, often voluntarily.Design/methodology/approachUsing both quantitative and qualitative analyses, data were collected through a survey of 94 Facebook community leaders about their motivations for creating and leading their communities.FindingsThe content analysis of the open-ended question reveals that leaders are motivated to create communities to satisfy informational needs, social needs and individual interests. A factor analysis shows five distinct motivations for leading: social, personal, influence, efficacy and community goals. Finally, a hierarchical regression indicates that extroversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, time spent per day and being the creator of the community can predict the level of motivation to lead the Facebook community.Originality/valueAs more and more organizations use online communities, the findings of this study may provide insights into leaders' motivations that can help organizations select their community leaders. This study expands on current research about a popular communication tool, Facebook communities, by examining it within the context of the unique role of online leadership in the social media environment.

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Childless in an IVF-nation: online stigma-coping strategies in support groups for childless Israeli women

Cited by 24 publications

References 26 publications

Factors Underlying Engagement in Facebook Support Groups of Female Infertility Patients

Factors Underlying Engagement in Facebook Support Groups of Female Infertility Patients

Childless Women’s Relationships with Children of Others: Narratives from Two Generations in Lithuania

Key motivations for leading Facebook communities: a uses and gratifications approach

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