BONDING AND CRACKING - THE ROLE OF INFORMAL, INTERPERSONAL NETWORKS IN HEALTH-CARE DECISION-MAKING

This study examined the role and impact of informal, interpersonal net works in health care decision making. Questioning the traditional appr oach to studying health communication as it is situated within institu tions (e.g., Burgeon, 1992; Nussbaum, 1989; Pettegrew & Logan, 1987), this ethnographic study ventured into the lived experiences of women i n a mothers' and toddlers' playgroup as they discussed their own, thei r family members', and their friends' health experiences. Their conver sations revolved around such health-related issues as pregnancy and de livery, physicians and hospitals, breastfeeding, illnesses and acciden ts, and diet and nutrition. The conversations were found to serve not necessarily opposing but distinctive functions including a rather prac tical purpose of ''cracking the code'' of institutional practices, as well as a ''bonding'' function evidenced through stories or narratives . The conversations are not only exchanges of information but also nar ratives through which shared experiences are created and maintained. I n addition to these narrative functions, examination of these conversa tions reveals how diagnoses and remedies from the institutions are dis cussed and decisions are made. The conclusion offers ideas for how age ncies and institutions can utilize the findings of this particular res earch venture.