UNVEILING RACIAL DYNAMICS: BLAIWOC TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN WHITE-DOMINANT ONLINE RECOVERY SUPPORT SPACES

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how Black, Latinx, Asian, Indigenous, and Women of Color (BLAIWOC) navigate and respond to racism in predominantly white online recovery support spaces (ORSS). Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and a trauma-informed lens, this study introduces a Critical Race Trauma-Informed Ethic (CRTIE) to guide technical communicators in addressing systemic racism within white-dominant environments, emphasizing six core principles: (1) recognition of racial trauma, (2) trauma-informed practices, (3) centering marginalized voices, (4) critical reflection and education, (5) action-oriented strategies, and (6) transparency and accountability.

The study examines the racialized dynamics within ORSS and highlights the strategies BLAIWOC employ to challenge dominant narratives and advocate for racial equity. Through a

multi-method approach that combines autoethnography, surveys, and interviews, the research explores how BLAIWOC act as technical communicators, bringing specialized knowledge about race, racism, and recovery to these spaces. The findings show that, despite the intended purpose of these spaces to provide community, connection, and healing, BLAIWOC participants often encounter microaggressions, cultural erasure, and the minimization of race as an "outside issue," leading to emotional disengagement and the creation of BIPOC-specific spaces. Their contributions, rooted in lived experience and collective knowledge, serve as vital resources for reshaping recovery discourse and practices.

By amplifying the voices of BLAIWOC and situating their experiences at the center of analysis, this dissertation not only critiques the racism embedded in recovery spaces but also proposes CRTIE strategies for fostering racial equity and cultivating more inclusive and supportive online communities. Beyond recovery spaces, the insights from this project have broader implications for technical and professional communication (TPC), demonstrating how applying CRT and trauma-informed principles can advance social justice initiatives across various contexts. Through this work, I argue that technical communicators have a unique opportunity to disrupt systems of oppression by integrating a CRTIE framework into their respective environments, fostering more racially equitable and trauma-informed spaces for marginalized communities.