My dissertation is an ethnographic study of Asian-American users on the social network site, Xanga. Based on my analysis of online texts, responses to texts, and participants' discussions of their writing motivations, my research strongly suggests that examining digital writing through participants' complex and overlapping constructions of their community and public(s) can help the field reconsider digital writing as a site of Asian-American rhetoric and as a process of constructing and transforming racial identities and relations. In particular, I examine how community and public, as interconnected and shifting writing imaginaries on Xanga, afford Asian-American users on this site the opportunity to write, explore, and circulate their racial and ethnic identities for multiple purposes and various audiences. Race and ethnicity, as many scholars argue, are shifting and unstable concepts and experiences. Therefore, writing about race and ethnicity may be done best in environments that can accommodate complex and multiple acts of racial and ethnic formations. While my research demonstrates how participants "want to be heard" on their own terms, whom they imagine (or want to imagine) as listening/reading significantly informs their writing. That is, participants' conceptions of their writing goals and their audiences are multiple and simultaneous--these racial and ethnic writing acts are often inflected by intersecting issues of gender, sexuality, class, culture, and intergenerational tensions--and, hence, traditional writing genres that limit such goals, audiences, and complexity do not always reflect how writers conceive of their own racial and ethnic experiences and their writing in the world. This study, then, examines Xanga as a flexible writingecologythat affords Asian-American users opportunities to compose their continuously transforming and complex racial and ethnic identities across multiple niches of representational sites and, specifically, in public and community spaces.

Social Network Sites (SNSs) have emerged as a new way of socializing in the internet age with TikTok being the latest platform to emerge as a worldwide phenomenon, particularly popular amongst the youth. However, there is a knowledge gap about how youth in Sweden’s self-presentation is shaped by the design of TikTok. This explorative study aims to examine what possibilities and restrictions TikTok facilitates for self-presentation and what relevance the users’ physical location, more specifically Sweden, has for their content. We conducted qualitative interviews with ten individuals between the ages of 18 and 23, living in Sweden and that have all created videos on the platform. The gathered data, analyzed using thematic analysis, resulted in five different themes, Usage, Functionality/Platform design, Socializing, Personal life and Expressing oneself; each with underlying categories and codes. From the analysis it became apparent that it is not only the design of the platform, but also its use in relation to other SNSs which shapes how users present themselves on it. The unique downplay of following friends and family as well as the encouraged use of filters and sounds from other users’ videos result in a distinct freedom of expression as well as video creation based on imitation. We also found that the platform seems to offer easy accessible tools for creative exploration without the imposed expectation of posting publicly. These findings show that youths in Sweden have a profound understanding and awareness of how SNSs can be utilized regarding self-presentation in daily life.

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The focus of this diploma thesis is the development and change in printed media. It is aimed at fashion periodicals from their beginning to present time. Czech mutations of ELLE and Harper's Bazaar were chosen as specific examples. The thesis is divided into several independent sections. In the first one, terms and theoretical solutions are defined and later further examined. The theory of parasocial interaction is used to view the chosen media as if they were individuals able to establish relationships with their readers through social media. Media are also assessed as a constituent of an industry field, in which rivalries take place and therefore it is necessary to adjust to the changing technological environment. Next part of the thesis is an attempt to describe the development of fashion magazines with an extra focus on visual transformation as well as on the change of communication strategies towards readers. Situation abroad and in the Czech Republic is detailed. In the practical section, there is an attempt at answering the research question, what are the communication options and how are they used in the traditional printed fashion magazines in the online setting. This part is based on quality and quantity methods such as questionnaires, elite interview, descriptive analysis of web pages...

This study’s purpose was to provide a deeper understanding regarding how millennials’ attitudes towards brands are influenced by online communication. With the aim of fulfilling the purpose of the study, two research questions of descriptive and explorative kind were stated; “How can the factors that influence millennials’ use of electronic word-of-mouth be described?” as well as “How does electronic word-of-mouth influence millennials’ brand attitude?”. In order to generate potential answers to the stated research questions, a conceptual framework was conducted by reviewing scholarly literature. The conceptual framework then provided the study with a theoretical foundation of which was utilized during both the data collection and the data analysis. Methodologically, this was a case study analyzing qualitative data that was collected through eleven semi-structured and in-depth interviews with both male and female millennials. The findings and conclusions of this study implied that electronic word-of-mouth has a meaningful impact on both the formation of and influence on attitudes towards brands amongst the millennials. Moreover, this was heavily dependent on the one disseminated it. However, with regard to the ever-evolving area of social network sites, other noteworthy factors such as millennials’ need for affiliation, aesthetically appealing firm-generated content and intense exposure to digital advertising were emphasized as components of which too formed their attitudes towards brands. Furthermore, the results suggested that adopting personalization- and social interaction strategies will encourage the spreading of positive electronic word-of-mouth. Lastly, positive electronic word-of-mouth was then for its part related to brand loyalty, which was reckoned to promote the persistency of positive brand attitudes.

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-06-12T18:18:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Lucas Monteiro Braz da Silva.pdf: 1409633 bytes, checksum: 4b22de3bf064561d7a0dcaca655b89fd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-06-12T18:18:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lucas Monteiro Braz da Silva.pdf: 1409633 bytes, checksum: 4b22de3bf064561d7a0dcaca655b89fd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-19 / Nenhuma / Sites de redes sociais são ótimas ferramentas para agregar e aproximar pessoas, no sentido de que elas oferecem diversas formas de interação, provendo a seus participantes facilidade de comunicação e a possibilidade de criarem discussões, comentários e compartilharem recursos que considerem relevantes. A popularidade desses sites é indiscutível. Com milhares de novos usuários todos os dias, exercem bastante atração especialmente entre os mais jovens, que muitas vezes passam a incorporá-los ao seu cotidiano e os utilizam para discutir sobre os mais variados temas. Diante disso, muitos pesquisadores têm se dedicado a investigar se o uso desses sites no contexto de ensino formal seria benéfico. Embora as pesquisas nessa área sejam ainda bastante recentes, este trabalho defende a ideia de que os sites de redes sociais possuem grande potencial para expandir o ensino além das salas de aula e podem ser usados para desenvolver uma cultura de aprendizagem. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar um mecanismo para realizar a integração entre o Sistema de Gestão de Aprendizagem Moodle e diferentes sites de redes sociais (como Facebook e Twitter). A partir desse mecanismo o professor passa a dispor de uma nova forma de se comunicar com seus alunos, os quais podem utilizar uma ferramenta familiar e atraente e, possivelmente, se tornarem mais participativos no processo de ensino. / Social networking sites are great tools for aggregating and bringing people together, in the sense that they offer various forms of interaction, providing its participants the ease of communication and the ability to create discussions, comments and share resources they find relevant. The popularity of these sites is undeniable. Having thousands of new users every day, they attract especially younger people who often come to incorporate them into their daily life and use them to discuss various themes. Therefore, many researchers have dedicated themselves to investigate whether the use of these sites in the context of formal education would be beneficial. Although these studies are still fairly recent, this work defends the idea that social network sites have great potential to expand education beyond the classroom and they can be used effectively to develop a culture of learning. The objective of this work is to present a mechanism that integrates Moodle with distinct social network sites (such as Facebook and Twitter). From this mechanism, the professors have a new way to communicate with their students and the students can use a familiar and attractive tool and, possibly, become more participative in the learning process.

This final thesis is looking for ways social networking site users understand their virtual image, online identity and the way online identity is made. It also deals with the way users view the use of social networks and the fact that their virtual profiles reflect their personalities and opinions. It also handles a study on how users perceive the closeness of "Facebook world", whether as a world made up of real people contacts or just a cold virtual space. Social network users leave a digital trace behind. In addition, this thesis follows its impact on online reputation. Also it follows effect it has on user's virtual contacts. It considers attitudes towards social networking sites based on age and gender. It mentions certain effects that accompany user and his presence on internet and social network in general: disinhibition effect, flaming, trolling or spiral of silence theory. It describes evolution of the communication on social networks. In the final stage it focuses on commercial potential: marketing opportunities on Facebook, ways to exploit users' data and what will be the benefit for both parties.

nÃo hà / O objetivo central do trabalho à investigar as relaÃÃes entre Jornalismo impresso, sites de redes sociais (SRS) e polÃtica, examinando, mais exatamente, de que modo o uso do Facebook por lÃderes polÃticos à abordado na cobertura jornalÃstica. Para isso, propÃe-se analisar a cobertura do periÃdico cearense O Povo sobre a fanpage do ex-governador do Cearà Cid Gomes (2007-2014) no Facebook. Torna-se fundamental compreender trÃs questÃes: 1) como o jornal percebe essa fonte de informaÃÃo, 2) como a utiliza na construÃÃo de suas pautas e 3) de que maneira reage Ãs tentativas do lÃder polÃtico de suprimir o papel de mediaÃÃo exercido pela imprensa. O corpus empÃrico à composto por 72 textos publicados no O Povo impresso. Para as questÃes 1 e 2 da pesquisa, acima mencionadas, aplicamos tÃcnicas de anÃlise de conteÃdo, debruÃando-nos sobre textos que abordam especificamente o conteÃdo das postagens de Cid; para a questÃo 3, optamos pela anÃlise do discurso, investigando textos que abordam a estratÃgia do ex-gestor de utilizar o Facebook como ferramenta de comunicaÃÃo. Entrevistas tambÃm foram exploradas como ferramenta metodolÃgica. Partimos de duas hipÃteses: 1) a de que o jornal teria encontrado na fanpage nÃo uma fonte de conteÃdo concorrente, mas uma referÃncia para a construÃÃo de seu noticiÃrio e uma oportunidade de reforÃar seu discurso de credibilidade perante o pÃblico, servindo de fiscal e crÃtico do poder; e 2) a de que, por meio do Facebook como ferramenta de comunicaÃÃo, agentes do campo polÃtico se esforÃariam para suprimir ou driblar a mediaÃÃo do Jornalismo. O estudo mostra que O Povo: embora, eventualmente, aponte a estratÃgia de Cid como positiva, adota tom predominantemente crÃtico ao relacionar a comunicaÃÃo via Facebook com a informalidade e a polÃmica; ignora a maioria das postagens nas quais o ex-gestor procura construir uma agenda positiva, dando preferÃncia à cobertura de temas controversos; e busca reforÃar sua credibilidade e legitimidade como porta-voz oficial da opiniÃo pÃblica. A pesquisa tambÃm mostra que, apesar de ter enxergado na fanpage uma forma de ganhar mais autonomia na divulgaÃÃo de seus temas, o ex-governador tambÃm buscou explorÃ-la de modo a influenciar a agenda midiÃtica. Ao fim do trabalho, verificamos a confirmaÃÃo da hipÃtese 1 e a confirmaÃÃo apenas parcial da hipÃtese 2.

Esta dissertação tem por objetivo compreender a gestão de identidade de sujeitos em dois sites de redes sociais, Facebook e LinkedIn, simultaneamente. Em um contexto no qual as interações pessoais e profissionais ocorrem também online, discute-se quais as motivações e as estratégias para a representação social nesses espaços. Por isso, realizou-se uma revisão teórica de conceitos ligados a sites de redes sociais, representação social, performance, gestão de identidade e visibilidade. No estudo de caso, utilizou-se como técnicas de pesquisa observação não participante, análise de conteúdo e entrevista em profundidade, com o intuito de identificar não só as estratégias dos sujeitos enquanto se apresentam às respectivas redes de contatos, mas também como as affordances dos sites os conduzem nesses comportamentos. Para tanto, procurou-se analisar os posts e os perfis de 10 profissionais de Tecnologia da Informação (TI) no Facebook e no LinkedIn, por um período de dois meses típicos. Ao ampliar a discussão sobre o tema e apresentar os resultados, conclui-se que a gestão de identidade em sites de redes sociais nesse grupo é traduzida em pelo menos 15 estratégias conscientes durante o uso das redes: criar perfis em sites de redes sociais diferentes; buscar uma estratégia de autoapresentação para cada site; escolher uma foto para cada site; manter uma postura diferente em cada site; formar redes de contatos distintas; estabelecer uma autocensura sobre os conteúdos postados; medir as palavras antes de publicar um post; tentar presumir o que a audiência irá pensar sobre os posts; expor mais ou menos a vida pessoal conforme o site; entender os sites enquanto espaços de exibição; manter uma expectativa sobre as interações nos posts; controlar o tempo nas redes sociais; atualizar — ou não — os perfis; lidar conscientemente com as multiplicidades identitárias; e justificar sua postura pelas finalidades dos sites. / This study aims to understand the identity management of subjects in two social network sites simultaneously, Facebook and LinkedIn. In a context in which personal and professional interactions happen also online, this work discussed motivations and strategies for social representation in these spaces. Therefore, this thesis carried out a theoretical review of concepts related to social network sites, social representation, performance, identity management and visibility. The study used research techniques as non-participant observation, content analysis and depth interviews to identify strategies of the subjects when they present themselves to their networks and also how site's affordances are visible on these behaviors. Therefore, posts and profiles of 10 Information Technology professionals on Facebook and LinkedIn on two typical months were analyzed. To enlarge the discussion on the theme and present the results from this group, it is stated that identity management on social network sites results into strategies during the use of networks, like creating profiles on different social network sites; looking for a self-presentation strategy for each site; choosing different photos; mantaining a distinct posture at each site; form different networks; establishing self-censorship on posted content; mincing words before publishing a post; assuming what the audience will think about the posts; exposing personal life in different ways; understanding the sites as exhibition spaces; keeping an expectation about interactions in the posts; tracking time on social networks; updating — or not — the profiles; consciously dealing with the identity multiplicities; and justifying their stance by the purposes of the sites.

The purpose of this study was (1) to examine rural residents’ perceived social support from Internet use for communication and (2) to understand the meanings associated with rural Internet users’ social media use, particularly with respect to mediating diverse social ties and exchanging different types of social support. To assess how Internet use affects rural residents’ sense of social support, this study investigated dynamic relationships between online communication and perceived social support by looking at interaction effects relative to extroversion, size of social networks, broadband use, and length of time using the Internet. To explore how social media are situated in a rural area, the present study investigated how rural residents use social network sites (SNSs) to maintain social contacts and exchange social support with members of their networks. / text