Date of Award

Fall 2014

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Communication

First Advisor

Robin E. Jensen

Second Advisor

Robin P. Clair

Committee Chair

Robin E. Jensen

Committee Co-Chair

Robin P. Clair

Committee Member 1

Jennifer L. Bay

Committee Member 2

Josh Boyd

Committee Member 3

Deb Koester

Abstract

This dissertation builds on current breastfeeding-related scholarship by suggesting that the lived experiences of nursing mothers could be effective arguments for initial and continued breastfeeding. To do this, I analyzed archival materials related to La Leche League, specifically League newsletters, and media articles from publications across the United States to determine how the "nursing mother" functioned as a persona throughout the second half of the twentieth century. First, in my analysis of League newsletters I theorized a new category of personae, the constitutive persona, which includes personae used by a collective to attract new members and provide them with language to talk about their experiences. Second, in analyzing the media's coverage of breastfeeding, I argued for an expanded conception of Wander's (1984) third persona that explains how individuals or groups may be both present in a discourse and simultaneously negated. Finally, the dissertation demonstrates a broader perspective on persona theory—one which presents a more complete understanding of breastfeeding discourse and the role of the nursing mother as an advocate for breastfeeding.

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