Abstract

Pregnancy loss occurs in roughly one in five pregnancies in the United States. However, though previous research notes both the importance of communication about pregnancy loss and the importance of interpersonal relationships at work, scholars have not yet examined women’s communication about pregnancy loss in the workplace. Drawing on Communication Privacy Management theory, this study sought to understand how some women negotiate communication about pregnancy loss at work and how their colleagues’ responses affect their disclosures. I interviewed 15 women who were working at least 30 hours a week while they experienced a pregnancy loss. This study reveals how colleagues’ reactions to women’s loss experiences, shaped by social and organizational taboos on loss, affect some women’s privacy management. In addition, the workplace context shapes the privacy boundaries women are able to construct around their pregnancy loss and the social support they receive after their loss.

摘要

在美国，大约有五分之一的孕妇发生流产。但是，尽管先前的研究既注意到了关于怀孕丢失的沟通的重要性，也注意到了工作中人际关系的重要性，但学者们尚未研究妇女在工作场所中关于怀孕丢失的沟通。这项研究基于沟通隐私管理理论，试图了解一些女性如何就工作中的怀孕损失进行沟通，以及同事的反应如何影响其披露。我采访了15名每周损失至少30个小时的妇女，她们经历了一次怀孕。这项研究揭示了同事对女性流失经历的反应（受社会和组织对流失的禁忌所影响）如何影响某些女性的隐私管理。此外，