Hanna Limatius University of Tampere “‘There really is nothing like pouring your heart out to a fellow fat chick’: Constructing a body positive blogger identity in plus-size fashion blogs.”
ABSTRACT
This article focuses on practices of identity construction in plus-size fashion blogs. Specifically, I investigate the construction of a body positive blogger identity, and the ways in which this identity is reflected in the language use of a group of 20 UK‑based plus-size fashion bloggers. The data for the study consists of a corpus of 200 blog posts (including reader comments). In a qualitative analysis, four categories of practices for identityconstruction are examined: 1) constructing identity through word choice, 2) constructing identity through group membership, 3) constructing identity through narratives, and 4) constructing an identity that is stigmatized within the group. The results of the study show that while adopting a body positive blogger identity can be empowering, it also contributes to the creation of in-group norms and restrictions.