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.

A presente tese tem por objetivo identificar estruturas e dinâmicas associadas à circulação de diferentes tipos de acontecimentos jornalísticos no Twitter. Busca-se, com isso, comparar as formas de circulação de narrativas em torno de diferentes tipos de acontecimentos jornalísticos em sites de rede social. Tem-se como pressuposto o fato de que o jornalismo contemporâneo estaria configurado como uma rede, formada por nós compostos por diversos atores para além dos veículos jornalísticos, os quais, através da participação de variadas formas, contribuem para a circulação jornalística. O referencial teórico do trabalho aborda o paradigma de redes, a circulação na cibercultura e no jornalismo, as especificidades da circulação e da recirculação jornalística em sites de rede social e o acontecimento jornalístico. Para operacionalizar a pesquisa, utiliza-se como método o estudo de caso de postagens no Twitter em torno de determinados acontecimentos jornalísticos associados à Copa do Mundo de 2014. Ao todo quatro casos são estudados tendo como procedimentos metodológicos a observação e a análise de redes sociais. Os resultados trazem indícios de que a participação do público na circulação jornalística traz modificações não apenas para o jornalismo como também pode provocar ressignificações no próprio acontecimento. / In this thesis, we aim to identify structures and dynamics associated to the circulation of different types of news events on Twitter. Thus, we seek to compare forms of circulation of narratives about different types of news events in social network sites. One of the premises we adopt is the fact that contemporary journalism is shaped like a network, composed by nodes that comprises diverse actors beyond news outlets, which, through participation in various forms, contribute to news circulation. We use as a theoretical background concepts related to the network paradigm, to circulation of contents on cyberculture and journalism, the specificities of news circulation and recirculation in social network sites, and news events. In order to operationalize the research, we use the method of case study of posts on Twitter about some specific news events related to the 2014 FIFA’s World Cup. We studied four cases using a combination of observation and social network analysis. The results provide evidence that the participation of the public on news circulation brings changes not only for journalism but also leads to a reframing in the events themselves.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:22:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sites de redes sociais na educacao.pdf: 1991493 bytes, checksum: cf0b9c36c274e73eae0be3938d401a65 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-12-22 / The number of Internet users has been increasing considerably in Brazil. According to surveys, social networks, such as Orkut, are among the most frequently accessed sites. However the digital divide still affects one third of the Brazilian population. As an argument to decrease this exclusion from the digital world, to prepare the students for the work environment and develop citizenship awareness, information and communication technologies have been implemented in schools run by the governments. The focus however, has been restricted to providing the physical facilities, in the form of laboratories. While social network sites are being used outside school hours and facilities by students and teachers to meet friends, communicate, update profiles and even to mobilize segments of the population, inside these institutions access to these social network sites is prohibited. The justification is that these tools do not serve educational purposes. The main objective of this survey, therefore, is to find out if the social networks available in the Internet can be used to further educational goals and to develop citizenship. To answer this question 23 tutors at the Núcleos de Tecnologia Educacional NTE (Centers for the use of Technology for Educational Purposes), responsible for offering courses in information technology to other tutors and teachers employed in State-run schools, were interviewed. The aim of the survey, therefore, is to determine the real situation in the public schools in Goiânia, regarding the use of social networks in the classroom. / O número de usuários da Internet aumenta consideravelmente no Brasil. Segundo pesquisas, dentre os sites mais acessados estão as redes sociais, como o Orkut. Mas a exclusão digital ainda é realidade para um terço dos brasileiros. Com o argumento de diminuir a exclusão, preparar os estudantes para o mundo do trabalho e estimular a cidadania, as tecnologias de informação e comunicação vêm sendo implantada nas escolas pelo poder público, mas o foco tem sido tão somente a instalação de laboratórios. Enquanto fora das instituições educativas os sites de redes sociais são usados por alunos e professores para encontrar amigos, comunicar, atualizar perfis e até mesmo para a mobilização cidadã, nelas o acesso a qualquer site de rede social é proibido, sob a justificativa de que essas ferramentas não servem para educar. A principal questão desta pesquisa, portanto, é saber se as redes sociais na Internet podem ser usadas na educação para o estimulo à cidadania. Em busca dessa resposta, foram pesquisados 23 formadores dos Núcleos de Tecnologia Educacional (NTE), que são responsáveis pela oferta de cursos de informática para os demais professores da rede estadual de ensino do Estado, conhecendo, portanto, a realidade das escolas públicas goianas no que diz respeito ao uso das redes sociais na sala de aula.

Résume de thèse non disponible / No summary

This study investigates the language of “citizen sociolinguists,” everyday users of social network sites (SNS) who contribute to the discourses about language on Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr, platforms with distinctive user demographics and technological affordances. The data were collected through keyword searches for mansplain, whitesplain, richsplain and thinsplain, metapragmatic neologisms which are lexical blends of the verb explain and one of four social categories. Disputes of macro-level ideologies are revealed by users’ creative meaning-making strategies and metapragmatic awareness of micro-level texts and utterances. Making use of the linguistic practices of the SNS, as well as the concisely-compacted semantic and pragmatic meanings of the four splain words, users come to evaluate communicative dynamics between speakers who differ from or relate with others in their experiences of sex, skin color, economic status, and physical form. Drawing on elements of Citizen Sociolinguistics (Rymes & Leone, 2014) with Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough, 1989) and Computer-Mediated Discourse Analysis (Herring, 2004), I question how users make metapragmatic judgements to convey varying meanings of the four focal words, and how the uses of [x]splain and the surrounding discourses illuminate socio-ideological values about language, about its intersection with gender, race, class, and body size, and the authority to speak on topics that are macro-contextually situated in discourses of privilege, power, and inequality. Lastly, I compare the findings across the three SNS platforms to understand how competing discourses differ in relation to each site’s user demographics, technological affordances and limitations, and subsequent linguistic practices.

Diploma thesis The transformation of communication models within cyberspace deals with the topic of communication on five current social network sites (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram). First part of the thesis focuses on theoretical background of traditional communication models. Selected models include: Shannon and Weaver Communication Model, Cultural and Ritual Model, Jakobson's Model, Publicity Model and communication model created by Vilem Flusser and Palo Alto School. Networked communication has been undergoing fast development which has caused that some communication models became obsolete. Thus it is necessary to define new communication features on social network sites, since these changes in conjunction with technology development and needs of contemporary society. User activity, cycle and egocentric communication processes, up-to-date and spontaneous content are the characteristic features of current communication on social network sites.

This master thesis analyses the effect that online influencers have on the shopping behavior of Generation Y. Conclusions will be formed through examining qualitative research, gathered from a sample of Generation Y candidates living in the Czech Republic, in regard to how the candidates perceive influencers and their recommendations. Theories relating to the reliability of influencers, due to paid cooperation, will be studied to determine whether online users prefer classic forms of promotion. Generation Y was selected as there is evidence to suggest they are the last generation to grow up without online influencers present. The emphasis was mainly on their attitudes, opinions and real experiences. This master thesis will be divided into three areas; literature review, methodology and findings. The purpose of the literature review will be to evaluate existing theories and allow conclusions to be produced from the chosen research topic, electronic resources and professional articles were determined as reliable sources. The methodology explains the process of how the data was collected and analysed, primary research of qualitative data was collated via ten semi-structured interviews from carefully selected candidates. The findings section of this thesis will explain in detail the conclusions drawn...

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Challenges in the South African education system arise from inter alia inadequate training, social and environmental problems, parental inefficiency, insufficient professionalism among teachers, as well as negative attitudes of learners. An urgent need exists to establish “a moral underground, an army of volunteers” (Jansen, 2012) who would be willing to provide another chance to “abandoned children” in poorer schools to develop their full potential for a brighter future. To assist learners to achieve a better future, this study focused on teacher-students and to enhance their learning experiences and consequently their teaching performance. By motivating the teacher-students to develop their potential in order to achieve better, they could, in turn, break the barriers of mediocrity in the learners they taught. The aim of this study was to uncover how a social network service (SNS) like Facebook could be used as an academic tool to support and enhance the affective learning experience of open distance teacher-students in the rural Eastern Cape. The main research question which guided this study was: How can the affective learning of open distance learning teacher-students in the rural Eastern Cape be supported through academic Facebook? The research intervention which elicited data, comprised coaching and scaffolding of the learning content relating to research methodology, as well as guiding the participants to engage with an SNS as a learning technology in an academic environment. The researcher created a support group on Facebook where participants could, at any time, interact with peers and the facilitator. Non-probability purposive sampling selected the participants according to the following criteria: isiXhosa home language speaking teacher-students from the rural areas around Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, enrolled with NWU for a BEd Honours degree, and who owned cellular phones which could connect to the Internet. While 74 teacher-students were invited to participate in the research, only 34 attended some of the coaching and scaffolding sessions, and 22 joined the FaceFunda group page. This qualitative bounded case study was conducted from a postmodern pragmatic view. Data were collected through individual interviews, a focus group interview, text from the FaceFunda group page and the researcher’s reflective diary. The data were analysed with Atlas. ti™. Three patterns emerged which described participants’ affective experiences: (i) emotions while learning with technology, (ii) experiences with technology, and (iii) need for support. In each case, the patterns related to emotions of competence (codes that captured positive and enabling experiences), and emotions of incompetence (codes that captured negative and incapacitating experiences). A secondary analysis of the findings uncovered the guidelines for the academic use of Facebook for rural distance teacher-students. Four themes emerged as guidelines: i) coaching and scaffolding support, (ii) technological support, (iii) peer support, and (iv) communication with the higher education institution. The guidelines highlighted that the affective learning of open distance learning of rural teacher-students in the Eastern Cape can be supported through the academic use of Facebook. ODL teacher-students require support coaching and scaffolding in order to adopt the use of SNSs for academic purposes. Adult learners should be supported to overcome technophobia to enable engagement with learning content. With adequate supportive measures, SNSs can contribute towards positive learning experiences of rural students. / MEd (Learner support), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Challenges in the South African education system arise from inter alia inadequate training, social and environmental problems, parental inefficiency, insufficient professionalism among teachers, as well as negative attitudes of learners. An urgent need exists to establish “a moral underground, an army of volunteers” (Jansen, 2012) who would be willing to provide another chance to “abandoned children” in poorer schools to develop their full potential for a brighter future. To assist learners to achieve a better future, this study focused on teacher-students and to enhance their learning experiences and consequently their teaching performance. By motivating the teacher-students to develop their potential in order to achieve better, they could, in turn, break the barriers of mediocrity in the learners they taught. The aim of this study was to uncover how a social network service (SNS) like Facebook could be used as an academic tool to support and enhance the affective learning experience of open distance teacher-students in the rural Eastern Cape. The main research question which guided this study was: How can the affective learning of open distance learning teacher-students in the rural Eastern Cape be supported through academic Facebook? The research intervention which elicited data, comprised coaching and scaffolding of the learning content relating to research methodology, as well as guiding the participants to engage with an SNS as a learning technology in an academic environment. The researcher created a support group on Facebook where participants could, at any time, interact with peers and the facilitator. Non-probability purposive sampling selected the participants according to the following criteria: isiXhosa home language speaking teacher-students from the rural areas around Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, enrolled with NWU for a BEd Honours degree, and who owned cellular phones which could connect to the Internet. While 74 teacher-students were invited to participate in the research, only 34 attended some of the coaching and scaffolding sessions, and 22 joined the FaceFunda group page. This qualitative bounded case study was conducted from a postmodern pragmatic view. Data were collected through individual interviews, a focus group interview, text from the FaceFunda group page and the researcher’s reflective diary. The data were analysed with Atlas. ti™. Three patterns emerged which described participants’ affective experiences: (i) emotions while learning with technology, (ii) experiences with technology, and (iii) need for support. In each case, the patterns related to emotions of competence (codes that captured positive and enabling experiences), and emotions of incompetence (codes that captured negative and incapacitating experiences). A secondary analysis of the findings uncovered the guidelines for the academic use of Facebook for rural distance teacher-students. Four themes emerged as guidelines: i) coaching and scaffolding support, (ii) technological support, (iii) peer support, and (iv) communication with the higher education institution. The guidelines highlighted that the affective learning of open distance learning of rural teacher-students in the Eastern Cape can be supported through the academic use of Facebook. ODL teacher-students require support coaching and scaffolding in order to adopt the use of SNSs for academic purposes. Adult learners should be supported to overcome technophobia to enable engagement with learning content. With adequate supportive measures, SNSs can contribute towards positive learning experiences of rural students. / MEd (Learner support), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014