DigitalCommons@Linfield

Discussing Diagnosis in Gluten Intolerance Communities

Jereld R. Nicholson Library

Individuals within gluten intolerance communities, whether online or in support group settings, regularly discuss their narrative experiences with illness and diagnosis, culminating in the identification of gluten intolerance as being the source of what may have been years of suffering. In this way their experiences with illness and the social interactions that have accompanied their illness are structured into a brief narrative that creates continuity and order out of a chaotic experience. Through the analysis of ninety-one blogs and ethnographic fieldwork conducted at ten support group meetings and one national conference, I examine the relationship between the recitation of these diagnosis stories and an individual's subsequent adopted role within the group. The performance of a diagnosis story effectively gives the performer an expert status on their own experiences and the knowledge they have attained through those experiences, and with this authority, they are able to participate as active contributors within the group. The sharing of a diagnosis story also legitimizes the individual's diagnosis of gluten intolerance, regardless of how it was made, as their narrative situates the individual in opposition to the consumption of gluten, which is often recognized as a common enemy throughout the community.