Meaning-Making in Social Media: Health and Vernacular Thinking

In light of recent public debates on health topics, many related online groups have emerged as phenomena of contemporary participatory culture. These groups offer alternative information and narratives to that provided by medical professionals and the mainstream media. Using ethnographic and narrative research methods, our project aims to map this kind of vernacular meaning-making as a key part of digital interaction. The project will overview how the particularities of these communal interactional spaces influence meaning-making: what kind of strategies are used, which ways of dissemination are most intelligible for the participants, and which cause suspicion or (narrative) resistance. The results are published via academic and popular scientific venues whilst affording input for those engaged in the fields of medicine and health, suggesting necessities, bottlenecks, and possibilities in mediating health topics to different interest groups.