This dissertation research uses the analysis of internet-based comments on two major news stories to study the role of identity in
anchoring power during discursive participation. For this purpose, identity includes the categorical group memberships that people may place
themselves or others into, such as gender, race, or occupation. Identity, as an anchor, is used as a resource for the purpose of linking
one’s wishes to power, with power being the amount of preferential treatment given to any particular identity in determining the course of
events or proper direction of discussion. The Daniela Pelaez case and Trayvon Martin case were each selected for making national headlines at
approximately the same time, both occurring in the same state, and both being in reference life altering circumstances for minority
teenagers, yet representing different outcomes. A content analysis of news comment board posts for the Daniela Pelaez and Trayvon Martin
cases has been performed to ascertain the use of identity in comments and prevalence of particular identities, the use of identity to anchor
power, the acknowledgement of identities by readers, and the conditions under which identities were used. One article for each case was
selected from the same national news source, with an analysis completed for the first 1,000 comments on each article. Identity used as an
anchor to power is found to exist, but only has a significant interaction with presentation of an argument for the Martin case. This
indicates that the association between anchoring identity and presenting an argument can vary by news story. Identity as an anchor itself
varies with race, and is dependent on how race relates to the news story. It is also found that anchoring is more dependent on authors’
expectations of what others will consider important than it is effective on readers’ actual recordable reactions. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2017. / November 14, 2017. / Includes bibliographical references. / Deana Rohlinger, Professor Directing Dissertation; Carl Schmertmann, University Representative; Paromita
Sanyal, Committee Member; Koji Ueno, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_604991 |
| Contributors | Mauney, Heather T. (author), Rohlinger, Deana A. (professor directing dissertation), Schmertmann, Carl P. (university representative), Sanyal, Paromita (committee member), Ueno, Koji (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (degree granting college), Department of Sociology (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (143 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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