La Leche League, the media, and the nursing mother: A broader perspective on persona theory

<p>This dissertation builds on current breastfeeding-related scholarship by suggesting that the lived experiences of nursing mothers could be effective arguments for initial and continued breastfeeding. To do this, I analyzed archival materials related to La Leche League, specifically League newsletters, and media articles from publications across the United States to determine how the "nursing mother" functioned as a persona throughout the second half of the twentieth century. First, in my analysis of League newsletters I theorized a new category of personae, the constitutive persona, which includes personae used by a collective to attract new members and provide them with language to talk about their experiences. Second, in analyzing the media's coverage of breastfeeding, I argued for an expanded conception of Wander's (1984) third persona that explains how individuals or groups may be both present in a discourse and simultaneously negated. Finally, the dissertation demonstrates a broader perspective on persona theory—one which presents a more complete understanding of breastfeeding discourse and the role of the nursing mother as an advocate for breastfeeding.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication

Year

2014

Author dc:creator

• Doss, Erin F

Contributors dc:contributor

• Robin E. Jensen
• Robin P. Clair
• Jennifer L. Bay
• Josh Boyd
• Deb Koester

• Communication
• Speech and Rhetorical Studies

Repository record dc:identifier

https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/262

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:docs.lib.purdue.edu:open_access_dissertations-1304