Shani Orgad Livres

This is an original sociological study of breast cancer patients' participation in Internet spaces. While much has been debated about the significance of the Internet, the actual processes of communication in which people engage online are little understood as yet. Exploring the ways in which participants in online spaces configure their experience into a story, the book presents readers with an innovative way of understanding online communication as a socially significant activity. The substantive focus of storytelling online is analyzed sensitively and thoroughly in its specificity as a social phenomenon. At the same time it is connected to a broad range of debates on communication and Internet, health, illness, and social agency.

The book critiques the prevailing "confidence culture" that encourages women to focus on self-love and belief as solutions to their struggles, suggesting that these messages overlook deeper social injustices. By employing Foucault's concept of technologies of self, the authors reveal how this culture promotes constant self-scrutiny and personal responsibility for systemic issues. They argue that such individualistic approaches dilute feminist movements, advocating instead for a redefined feminism that addresses structural oppression rather than merely encouraging personal empowerment.

Heading Home reveals the stark gap between the promise of gender equality and women's experience of continued injustice. It draws on in-depth interviews with highly educated London women who left paid employment to take care of their children, juxtaposed with media and policy depictions of women, work, and family.