Constructing an active citizen online - a case study of blogs of medical histories in public healthcare in Sweden

摘要

This paper focuses on the construction of citizenship online, through an analysis of independent blogs as well as member blogs of NGOs, all being written by young Swedish cancer patients. The findings show that citizenship is co-constructed in complex interplays. Blogging and support from NGOs open up new forms of everyday practice, extending the concept of citizenship. The importance of NGOs being online is highlighted in this context. The NGOs are supporting their members’ efforts to become more active citizens as well as providing tools for non-members to become more active as patients. Individual blogs are also important, as they can be seen as self-organised networks providing an interactive link among the writer, the commentators, and the readers in the construction of citizenship.