Suchergebnisse

AbstractFor young adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), perceived stigma has been found to be a salient concern. Drawing on interviews with individuals withIBDaged 18–29 (n= 16), this article uses rhetorical discourse analysis to explore how stigma is discursively constructed by young adults, with a focus on the moral underpinnings of the participants' talk. Their representations showed both felt stigma and enacted stigma; principally related to the perceived taboo surrounding the symptoms of their condition, which often led to the non‐disclosure or concealment of the condition. The different ways in which stigma is manifested in the accounts present a challenge to recent arguments questioning the relevance of this concept in chronic illness research, though it was found that it is not adequate to look at stigma alone and, given the unstable nature ofIBD, negotiating stigma in relation to possible charges of deviance is a pertinent issue for these young adults. For instance, non‐disclosure because of shame could result in individuals experiencing blame. Accounts were constructed through a range of discursive strategies, allowing the participants to present themselves in morally appropriate ways throughout. Suggestions are made about future directions in addressing stigma and deviance in relation to this cohort.

The articles in this special issue describe how different types of technology can be applied in the child maltreatment field to improve activities. This commentary suggests that though new technology does not necessarily make for better content, it does create exciting new possibilities that creative minds can use to advance the field. The projects described in this issue are examples of such creativity and give a glimpse of the future. However, advances in technology applications do not come without some cost and some loss. Technological approaches may reduce human interaction and result in the loss of its intangible benefits. The commentary suggests that the child maltreatment field appears ripe for broad-based application of technology in three areas: web-based professional training, self-directed interventions and prevention programs, and use of social networking technology. Finally, ideas are proposed for understanding the true cost of developing, implementing, and maintaining technological applications.