Abstract
This paper takes a rhetorical autoethnographic approach to understanding the evolution of support and grief in one private online Facebook group, Amy's Army. Initially created as a private channel for one woman to communicate cancer treatment news to her social network, the Amy’s Army group evolved into a source of support, developed a specific culture, and cultivated offline relationships. Following Amy’s death, the group became a source of grief support, memorialization, and familial support. This paper specifically explores how the group’s rhetoric adapted and transitioned after Amy’s passing. The author argues that the specific community constituted in Amy’s Army served to support the community members’ grief during and after the bereavement transition, perhaps at the expense of the dying person.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
54
Issue
1
First Page
72
Last Page
91
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Bruns, Laura C.
(2022)
"Amy's Army: An Evolution of Support and Grief in a Private Facebook Community,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 54:
No.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol54/iss1/6
Copyright
©2022 Iowa Communication Association
