Online social support for “Danqin Mama”: A case study of parenting discussion forum for unwed single mothers in China

Voice of Chinese unwed single mothers remains unheard in public discourse in China. Since 2001, the government has enforced punishment and penalties on childbirth out of wedlock. Isolated socially offline, many turn to parenting forums as a source for social support. This study examined the role of online social support in the social and well-being of unwed single mothers in China. In particular, the largest online parenting forum that caters to unwed single mother was examined. After filtering out causal talks and other unrelated conversations, 578 initial unwed motherhood related post was narrowed to a total of 76 threads (which included 4892 messages). Findings reveal that all three types of social support: information, emotion, and tangible support were present and exchanged among the members of the discussion board. The findings highlight a positive impact of online social support on the overall wellbeing of this group. The presence and exchange of social support not only enhanced self-esteem and promoted individual empowerment, but also raised group consciousness and created a bond and a sense of belonging to an online community.