Turning medical problems into legal problems: social media, legal consciousness, and transforming guilt into blame
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Sociolegal research has long found that most people “lump” their problems rather than pursue legal remedies. This study examines how social media transforms legal consciousness and mobilization. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 100 families who experienced the same birth injury, and 37 legal and medical professionals, we analyze how online communities shape perceptions of medical injury, blame attribution, and legal action. We find that parents often experience profound guilt, believing they are responsible for their child’s injury. However, participation in online support groups reframes their understanding of the injury, shifting their guilt toward medical providers and fostering legal claims. Our findings show that social media serves as a new “structuring structure,” shaping legal consciousness across geographic and social class boundaries. Social media serves as a powerful force in shaping parents’ perceptions of their child’s injuries as legally actionable, challenging existing assumptions about why people do or do not pursue legal action. By examining how online communities facilitate the transformation from guilt to blame and encourage legal mobilization, this study contributes to broader sociolegal debates about the role of digital technologies in shaping contemporary legal consciousness.
Source: Law & Society Review
Authors: Mary Nell Trautner, Margaret Rex
Institution: University at Buffalo, State University of New York
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacy
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,550
OpenAlex ID: W7151229757