Graduation Year
Spring 2014
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Department
Science, Technology and Society
Reader 1
Vivien Hamilton
Reader 2
Jacqueline Wernimont
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2014 Marta B. Bean
Abstract
Vaccination is an important public health measure that can help reduce disease at the population level. Substantial evidence exists that vaccines are safe and effective at reducing the incidence of diseases like pertussis, measles and cervical cancer. However, on Internet parenting forums, parents discuss whether or not vaccination is the right choice for their children. In this thesis, I highlight the historical context of the anti-vaccine movement in mid 19th century to early 20th century Victorian Britain in the era of compulsory smallpox vaccination. Vaccination in this time was a very different and more overtly dangerous process, and preexisting dissenting movements took up anti-vaccination as a cause. Today, the rhetoric on Internet parenting forums has grown to include arguments of safety, efficacy and necessity of vaccination. I gathered much of the information from the mothering.com and mumsnet.com parenting forums, and other websites like Sanevax.org.
Recommended Citation
Bean, Marta B., "Shots, Everybody? : British Anti-smallpox Vaccination and the Development of Multifaceted Anti-vaccine Rhetoric on Internet Parenting Forums" (2014). Scripps Senior Theses. 390.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/390
Included in
Anthropology Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Communication Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Medicine and Health Commons, Rhetoric and Composition Commons, Social Media Commons, Virus Diseases Commons
