Graduation Term
2017
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
School of Communication
Committee Chair
Aimee E. Miller-Ott
Abstract
According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (2014), fibromyalgia is identified as an arthritis-related ailment, but it does not damage tissues or cause any form of inflammation. However, individuals with fibromyalgia still experience pain and fatigue. Based on Arnold et al.’s (2008) conclusion that individuals with fibromyalgia experience disrupted relationships, isolation, and loss of or lack of advancement in an occupation, and because women are diagnosed with fibromyalgia more frequently than men, my focus in the study was on the workplace experiences of women with fibromyalgia. Specifically, I was interested in uncovering how these women managed private information about their illness at work, experienced changes in their own and others’ behaviors at work, and perceived being stigmatized by others at work due to their illness. I used Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory as the guiding framework. I conducted nine in-depth interviews with women afflicted with fibromyalgia who also work. Various themes arose from the interviews related to disclosure, behavioral changes, and stigma. I identify various implications for the study and address limitations and areas for future research.
Access Type
Thesis-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Hall, Robert D., "Invisible Pain: Looking at Women’s Fibromyalgia Disclosure in the Workplace through the Lens of Communication Privacy Management Theory" (2017). Theses and Dissertations. 755.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/755
DOI
http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2017.Hall.R