I hope this can be used for a greater good than pure study. / This study used a novel combination of interview methodologies, made possible through the nature of instant messaging, and ethnographic methods in order to determine the value of the autistic community on Tumblr.com to its members. Ethnographic study yielded insights about the dialectic quality of any community on Tumblr, autistic community included, as well as the sense of autonomy users have on the site that is different if not greater than what they may practice in the physical world. Interview data suggest a neutral to positive view of the community and its culture overall, though further research with a greater sample of participants is required in order to confirm these findings. Information can be shared quickly between members, and this information provides greater insight into a given user’s autism, be it diagnosed or otherwise, or insight into navigating the neurotypical world. Autism positivity and neurodiversity advocacy is common among participants and the blogs they subscribe to, popularising the idea thereof in the mainstream while validating the identity of autistic people online and offline. This ethos makes its way into more casual site discussions, with memes and other entertainment being shaped by these experiences. The autistic community on Tumblr is an excellent example of a modern biosocial community online, and serves as Hacking’s engine of normalisation both on the site outside of the autistic community and in the physical world through real life events and adoption of site terminology and discourse. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / Using a purpose-built blog to learn about site culture and a series of online interviews to discover participant experiences, this study explores the culture of the autistic community on Tumblr and its impact on its members. The autistic community on Tumblr is a place that its members have more freedom to act and express themselves (through art, videos, shared stories etc.) than in the physical world. Through being a way to vent difficult experiences, get information, and enjoy site content made by and for them (in addition to broader appeal media), site users report a neutral to positive effect on their overall quality of life because of the site. Further research is required to confirm any of the patterns in the work.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/24989 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Creators | Kirkconnell, Andrew |
| Contributors | Badone, Ellen, Anthropology |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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