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，大约五分之一的怀孕发生流产。然而，虽然之前的研究同时指出了流产沟通的重要性和工作中人际关系的重要性，但学者们尚未研究女性在工作场所流产的沟通。本研究借鉴通信隐私管理理论，试图了解一些女性如何协商有关工作中流产的沟通以及她们同事的反应如何影响她们的披露。我采访了 15 位每周至少工作 30 小时的女性，她们经历了流产。这项研究揭示了同事对女性遭受损失经历的反应，受社会和组织对损失的禁忌的影响，如何影响一些女性的隐私管理。此外，