virtual spaces and lost identities

1. Danish Conference of Sociology 2012
Performing trouble identities
AARHUS University 19-20 Genuary 2012
Virtual spaces and lost identities: the
transformative process through e-narratives
Alessandra Micalizzi
IULM University – Communication, behaviour and consumption dept.
alessandra.micalizzi@iulm.it

2. Framing the research…
Narrative approach
«Narratives live in our mind, they organize our thoughts, they
help us to interpret daily experiences and give meaning to our
existence» (Di Fraia, 2005)
Identity:
Internet as Narrative
As narrative technology
construction
“Narrative self” Relationship:
The results of
narratives exchanges

3. Framing the research…
Mediation
/protection
Post-orality fragmentation
Internet as Narrative
technology
Virtual
Intimacy togetherness
Participation
Multiple self
Public-private
space

4. Perinatal death mourning
From a narrative point of view, it’s a
turning point
Social context Mother
Not-recognition of tragic Signs of matherhood
event
Future perspective of new Failed expectations and
pregnancy desires
Not recognition of the new Certainty that the baby
identities (both as mother as “was” a part of her life
well as people that lives a
loss)

5. Methodology
Qualitative
approach
Qualitative content
25 e-mail interviews analysis
Cyber-ethnography

6. Practices of uses
Performing a real identity as a
Exit phase
“mummy that lost her baby”
5
Conquering new identity as Taking responsibility
special mummy phase
Participation phase 4
3
Introduction phase
2
Acclimatising phase Loosing social identity
as “mother”
1

7. 1. Acclimatising
«Initially, I didn‟t sign up, I spent hours reading what others had
written, but I was not able to „come out‟! Maybe because to do so
meant telling myself “It‟s all true, and it really happened and you can‟t
go back. I am also a special mommy and Alice with not come back to
me”» Alice‟s mom.
• reading other messages (lurking)
• finding similar experiences
• reflecting on the identity denied (as mother)
•Strongly sense of misunderstanding and diversity respect the world
“outside”

8. 2. Introduction
«Alice died December 2 and I signed up on January 9, if I remember
correctly. It was time to face everything, but, most of all, to be
hugged by other magnificent mommies» Alice‟s mom.
• creating an account strictly connected with the identity as “Mother”
• retelling the story about the loss (processing mourning)  coactions
to repet
• be a part to the community  constructing a sense of community

9. 3. Participation
«Being part of the forum is like having another family in the
sense that you belong to a group where personal bonds are
strengthened by sharing difficult experiences and they grow
with reciprocal exchange and help! » (Claudia Ravaldi, Lapo‟s
mommy, meeting facilitator)
• common destiny effect
 clear difference between the world on and off line
•construction of “special mummy identity”
• regular narratives exchange
•Elective affinity special relations

10. 4. “Taking responsibility”
«Months by months, I started to felt better. I understood I‟m not
alone. I was stronger and I was ready to help other special mummies.
When I read some stories, stories like mine, I thought and I said to
others “I‟m the living witness that you can go through”» Marta‟s
mom.
• narratives more focused on answering others and not in speaking
about personal emotions
• re-appropriation of real life (new or old interests)  personal
identity
• re-building relational links social identity

11. 5. Exit
«I‟m not ready yet to abandon the forum. I can‟t think me without my
new virtual friends. But I think, may be a day, I‟ll spend less time on
the Net and I‟ll start again to live» Paola‟s mom.
• desire to “normality”
• less sense of dependence from the forum
• reduction of the presence on the forum

12. Performing new identities
Identity level
• searching for the identity as mother, denied outside of the Net
• processing the mourning: coping by
• auto-biographical narration
• sharing the narration (reflection on self by the glance of others)
• reconstructing new identity, involving also the Real life
Loss
Coherent
First search on the Net Exit narratives about
the self
Border on/off
Taking
responsibility
Participation
Acclimatising
Introduction