Discussion Frames in Motherhood Blogs: A Case Study on Suburban Mom

The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the emerging discussion frames in motherhood blogs. The main focus is on interaction and interactivity in motherhood blogs because they are very communal in nature. Blogs are one form of a larger phenomenon of user-generated content that has changed the way consumers communicate with each other. The conceptual framework is constructed from theoretical discussion frames identified in earlier literature. Netnography was chosen as the research method because it is designed for exploring the various communities that emerge through computer-mediated communications. The Finnish blog Suburban Mom was selected for deeper analysis, and the empirical data are based on 54 blog entries and 1,377 comments. This rich qualitative material was analysed using categorization. Eight empirical discussion frames emerged from the data, namely introducing and welcoming, exchanging courtesies, drawing inspiration, searching for information, sharing knowledge, providing peer support, expressing opinions, and opposing values.