Out In The Cold: Alaskan Women‘s Use Of Supportive Communication And Support Networks

Abstract

More than 200,000 American women live under conditions capable of producing extreme stress through cold, darkness, and physical and cultural isolation – in Alaska, America‘s ― "Last Frontier." Many of these women deal with the stresses of living in Alaska by using supportive communication – a fact which has not been examined in depth prior to this thesis. Using qualitative interview data and a phenomenological approach, this thesis examines the ways Alaskan women use supportive communication, the stressors which spur supportive communication, the channels used for supportive messages, and the characteristics of the messages directed toward certain relational groups. Based on interviews with an extraordinarily broad cross-section of non-native Alaskan women covering many decades and experiential backgrounds, the research identified principal stressors as cold, darkness, physical isolation, cultural isolation, holidays, and the presence of children and other family stresses. Alaskan women derive the most immediate and significant support from face-to-face interactions with immediate family present in Alaska – adults first, then children; short of that, support is supplied by Lower-48 family, Alaskan friends, and finally Lower-48 friends. However, support from these groups is tempered by physical distance and an inability or unwillingness to understand the nature and depth of stressors. Finally, face-to-face communication provides the deepest, richest, and most immediate support; despite technological obstacles and lack of richness, phone calls, e-mails, and letters were still capable of providing significant support. New media such as texting and social media have made few inroads with respondents.