ProAna worlds: Affectivity and echo chambers online

Osler, Lucy and Krueger, Joel 2021. ProAna worlds: Affectivity and echo chambers online. Topoi 41 (5) , pp. 883-893. 10.1007/s11245-021-09785-8

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Abstract

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterised by self-starvation. Accounts of AN typically frame the disorder in individualistic terms: e.g., genetic predisposition, perceptual disturbances of body size and shape, experiential bodily disturbances. Without disputing the role these factors may play in developing AN, we instead draw attention to the way disordered eating practices in AN are actively supported by others. Specifically, we consider how Pro-Anorexia (ProAna) websites—which provide support and solidarity, tips, motivational content, a sense of community, and understanding to individuals with AN—help drive and maintain AN practices. We use C. Thi Nguyen’s work on epistemic “echo chambers”, along with Maria Lugones’ work on “worlds” and “ease”, to explore the dynamics of these processes. Adopting this broader temporal and intersubjective perspective, we argue, not only helps to further illuminate the experiential character of AN but also has important clinical and therapeutic significance.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	English, Communication and Philosophy
Publisher:	Springer
ISSN:	0167-7411
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	23 January 2023
Date of Acceptance:	19 November 2021
Last Modified:	03 May 2023 07:36
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/155941

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