Producer, Director and Star - A qualitative study of an older cohort’s social identity construction on Facebook
(2015) BUSN39 20151Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding and contribute with knowledge of older people’s online behavior, with a particular focus on the process of social identity construction on Facebook.
Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework consists of theories related to self and identity, in both an offline and online context in order to obtain a more complex and nuanced understanding.
Method: This study takes the stance of social constructionism and uses a qualitative strategy. Both focus group discussions and netnography are used to collect the empirical material. Limitations are highlighted and discussed.
Main findings: The analysis showed that the participants’ online social identity on Facebook... (More) - Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding and contribute with knowledge of older people’s online behavior, with a particular focus on the process of social identity construction on Facebook.
Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework consists of theories related to self and identity, in both an offline and online context in order to obtain a more complex and nuanced understanding.
Method: This study takes the stance of social constructionism and uses a qualitative strategy. Both focus group discussions and netnography are used to collect the empirical material. Limitations are highlighted and discussed.
Main findings: The analysis showed that the participants’ online social identity on Facebook was viewed as an extension out of the true self, yet without representing every part of the self. Moreover, findings also concerned the challenges that arose due to the clash of differ- ent social groups on Facebook, which the participants coped with in different ways. The participants were also shown to be highly aware of an observing mass on Facebook which resulted in that their behavior became both restricted in order to avoid negative social consequences and that they tried to present themselves in a favorable light. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/7358063
- author
- Öhrström, Victoria LU and Sonnelind, Julia LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20151
- year
- 2015
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Facebook, Online Behavior, Social Identity Construction, Self, Older Cohort, User
- language
- English
- id
- 7358063
- date added to LUP
- 2015-06-30 14:31:54
- date last changed
- 2015-06-30 14:31:54
@misc{7358063,
abstract = {{Purpose: The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding and contribute with knowledge of older people’s online behavior, with a particular focus on the process of social identity construction on Facebook.
Theoretical framework: The theoretical framework consists of theories related to self and identity, in both an offline and online context in order to obtain a more complex and nuanced understanding.
Method: This study takes the stance of social constructionism and uses a qualitative strategy. Both focus group discussions and netnography are used to collect the empirical material. Limitations are highlighted and discussed.
Main findings: The analysis showed that the participants’ online social identity on Facebook was viewed as an extension out of the true self, yet without representing every part of the self. Moreover, findings also concerned the challenges that arose due to the clash of differ- ent social groups on Facebook, which the participants coped with in different ways. The participants were also shown to be highly aware of an observing mass on Facebook which resulted in that their behavior became both restricted in order to avoid negative social consequences and that they tried to present themselves in a favorable light.}},
author = {{Öhrström, Victoria and Sonnelind, Julia}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Producer, Director and Star - A qualitative study of an older cohort’s social identity construction on Facebook}},
year = {{2015}},
}