scholarly journals Critical conversations: Social workers’ perceptions of the use of a closed Facebook group as a participatory professional space

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deb Stanfield ◽  
Liz Beddoe ◽  
Neil Ballantyne ◽  
Simon Lowe ◽  
Nicole Renata
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Group Members

INTRODUCTION: The rise of social media has been associated with rapid growth in different forms of digital networking, debate and activism. Many studies have traced the role of social media in mobilising people to take action on shared issues of concern across the world. Yet, while networked public spaces offer many possibilities for professional engagement and interaction, the technology also shapes social dynamics, raising questions over professional boundaries and the nature of online behaviour.METHOD: The development of a closed professional group on the social networking site, Facebook, provided an ideal opportunity to explore social workers’ perceptions of participatory public space for professional deliberation and debate about public issues. Using a small-scale, case-study approach, group members were invited to complete an online survey and to participate in an interview which explored participants’ motivation for joining the group, the frequency and nature of their contributions, how it felt to be a member and what they valued or found problematic about the group.FINDINGS:  Those group members benefitted from the resources, research and professional development opportunities afforded to them and supported the professional potential and promise of social networking sites. They grappled with what constitutes ethical online behaviour and identified the site’s limitations and strengths as a place to promote robust professional dialogue on social issues. IMPLICATIONS: Analysis of social workers’ experience within participatory public spaces offers insight into how the profession can develop modern communication strategies and strong communities of practice in line with its professional principles and mandate.

Social networking for scientists: an analysis on how and why academics use ResearchGate

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 744-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Muscanell ◽  
Sonja Utz
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Career Outcomes ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the usage and utility of ResearchGate (RG), which is a social networking site where scientists disseminate their work and build their reputations. In a sample consisting largely of American and European academics, the authors analyzed the ways they use the site, what they thought about the site’s utility, and the effects of usage on career outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The authors employed an online survey approach to target scientists who have an active RG account. Scientists who were not users were also recruited in order to get a better idea of the reasons for their nonuse. Findings Most academics who have an RG account did not use it very heavily. Users did not perceive many benefits from using the site, and RG use was not related to career satisfaction or informational benefits, but was related to productivity and stress. Research limitations/implications Systematic research is needed to explore positive and negative consequences of using professional social media in academia, especially productivity and stress. Findings also suggest that RG needs to increase user engagement. Originality/value This study is one of the first to closely examine how and why people in academia use professional social media sites and whether usage leads to perceived benefits and effects on more general career outcomes.

Twitter in Place Examining Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Plaza through Social Media Activism

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Gerald Collins
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Smart Phones ◽  
Space Representation ◽  
Media Activism ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Spatial Systems

Abstract In Korea, social networking sites are overwhelmingly utilized through smart phones; people tweet or update Facebook with their mobile devices. Like any social networking site, this means that people are making (and remaking) connections with each other, but it also means that people are connecting in complex ways to place. Even if geo-location is disabled, these social media still have this embodied dimension; they’re not just tweets, but tweets in a particular space and time. In Seoul, embodied practices of social media infuse spaces with diverse and networked meaning that interact (however weakly) with existing spatial systems. In this essay, I explore the diverse meaning of public space in Seoul through an analysis of Twitter traffic surrounding enormous protests in 2016 at Gwanghwamun Plaza calling for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye. People who protested against the President in Gwanghwamun Plaza were not only calling for her resignation, but they are also making strong claims to space that re-define the heterogeneous site as a space of protest. At the same time, they are not the only groups making claims on the plaza: conservative groups, merchants, commuters, tourists and various bots tweet other meanings through their interactions with the protest site, and these, too, add to the networked representation of Gwanghwamun Plaza. Ultimately, the paper suggests a theory of social media in urban settings which emphasizes complex interactions of space, representation, networked action, absence and presence.

scholarly journals #SocialMedia: Exploring the Relationship of Social Networking Sites on Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Eating Disorders

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630511770440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Santarossa ◽  
Sarah J. Woodruff
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Eating Disorder ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Dependent Relationship ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of this study was to investigate whether problematic social networking site (SNS) use (i.e., degree of dependent relationship with SNSs), total SNS time/day, total SNS friends, and specific SNS activities were related to body image (BI), self-esteem (SE), and eating disorder (ED) symptoms/concerns. A sample of young adults ( N = 147) completed an online survey which measured SNS usage, problematic SNS use, BI, SE, and ED symptom/concerns. The findings revealed that females and males spent 4.1 ± 3.9 and 2.9 ± 2.8 hr on SNS, respectively, with the majority of time spent lurking (i.e., looking at another users’ profile but not actually communicating with them). Furthermore, problematic SNS use was found to be related to BI, SE, and ED symptoms/concerns. Moreover, SNS activities, such as lurking and posting comments on others’ profiles, were found to be related to BI, whereas SNS total time was found to be related to ED symptoms/concerns. Overall, this study demonstrates the possible correlational influence of SNSs on BI, SE, and ED symptoms/concerns.

scholarly journals A FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE SKILL AMONG RURAL WOMEN COMMUNITIES

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 280-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noraida Haji Ali ◽  
M. Suriyani ◽  
Masita@Masila Abdul Jalil ◽  
Mustafa Man
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Ict Literacy ◽  
Profile Data ◽  
Social Networking Service ◽  
Information Engineering

Purpose: A Social Networking Site (also social networking service or social media) is a platform to make people connected and share anything about them. The purpose of this research to construct a framework for the Development of Social Networking Site Skill to help women in rural areas to face the growth of ICT. This paper discusses how the proposed framework can help them to develop their skills of marketing using the SNS. This kind of effort, hopefully could empower the targeted marginalized group with the knowledge of information engineering, increase their awareness and utilization of ICT in their everyday actions. Methodology: The data obtained are the result of on-going projects in Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu.  Community rural women in Setiu Wetlands are respondent for this study. A total of 30 people (identified as women entrepreneurs) were respondents and profile data was preliminary studies about the skills and existing ICT literacy and internet use. Main Findings: Based on profiling data that have been collected, a framework for the development of skills in using social media as a business medium has been developed. Implications/Applications: The framework developed is expected to produce successful entrepreneurs from rural women communities. The entrepreneur will be an example to other women. This effort also is expected to help rural women community can improve the living standards of their families.

scholarly journals Possibilities to Apply the Urban Acupuncture Concept in Kaunas: Social Aspect

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 18-27
Author(s):  
Aurelija Daugelaite ◽  
Indre Gražulevičiūte-Vileniške ◽  
Mantas Landauskas
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Art ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Street Art ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Ecological Design ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The City

The concept of urban acupuncture, which has been gaining ground in recent decades, is based on the activation and revitalization of urban environments using small architectural or landscape architectural interventions in precise carefully selected locations of urban fabric. However, the rapid and unexpected design solutions of urban acupuncture, based on ecological design, nature dynamics, street art, material re-use, can cause different social and psychological reactions of urban population and these reactions may vary depending on cultural contexts. Consequently, in order to implement successful urban acupuncture projects in Lithuanian cities, it is very important to find out public opinion and priorities in the fields of public space management, aesthetics, and public art. The aim of the research was to analyze the opinion of Kaunas city residents regarding these issues. For this purpose, a sociological questionnaire survey was used. The questionnaire containing 20 questions was designed, with the aim to find out the trends of use of public spaces in the city, the attitudes of residents towards street art and other small-scale initiatives in public spaces implemented in the recent years, possibilities of creating landscape architecture based on ecological ideas in urban environment, the attitude of inhabitants towards community spaces and community space design in the city, etc. 100 residents of Kaunas participated in this online administered survey. The survey has demonstrated general positive attitude towards contemporary design trends of public spaces and public art; however, the surveyed population expressed preferences towards fully equipped public spaces offering possibilities for a wide range of activities.

scholarly journals Sociotope mapping: perceptions of public space at Ryerson University

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Afonso Magalhaes
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Landscape Architecture ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
School Administration ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Public Consultation ◽  
Public Realm ◽  
University Campus ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mapping Tool

Sociotope mapping is a tool that has been used to identify values in public spaces, as defined by the public. By developing an original sociotope map using the sociotope map methodology, utilizing the technique created in Stockhom, Sweden, this research attempts to understand the values of public space within and around Ryerson University, while providing a critique on the utility of the tool in this context. The information collected from an online survey will be analyzed and visually displayed on a sociotope map. This may be utilized by the school administration, municipal planners, urban designers or landscape architecture professionals to understand what concerns may be provoked by the development of certain spaces and the resources valued by the public in the public realm. This project explores how different public spaces within the Ryerson University Campus are utilized and how useful is the sociotope mapping tool in inferring these values. keywords: planning; sociotope; parks planning; perceptions of space; engagement; public consultation.

How to Be Visible in Student Politics: Performativity and the Digital Public Space in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 707-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Kuttig ◽  
Bert Suykens
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Local Politics ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Student Activists ◽  
Student Politics ◽  
Ruling Party

In Bangladeshi student politics, political performances in public spaces play an essential role in establishing patronage relationships and determining local authority structures. As Thomas Blom Hansen has famously argued, “visibility means everything” in such a context. With the emergence of social networking sites like Facebook, new digital public spaces have appeared. Focusing on ruling-party student activists at Rajshahi University, this article examines how student politicians in Bangladesh utilize Facebook to become visible in their everyday politicking. It shows how longstanding performative repertoires in the nondigital public space have gained a new salience through performances in the digital public space. It is those digital spaces that allow the performer to rearticulate even mundane everyday events as political performances. As these new digital public spaces impact the politics of visibility, it is crucial to integrate them in our efforts to understand local politics in South Asia and beyond.

scholarly journals Perceived impact of meteorological conditions on the use of public space in winter settlements

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-642
Author(s):  
Agneta Larsson ◽  
David Chapman
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis study aimed to assess the impact of meteorological conditions on the use of public space in Scandinavia and Canada. Between September 21 and December 18, 2017, a cross-sectional online survey ‘EAMQ-Climate: space’ was distributed via web-based platforms. Survey responses were received from 361 residents (258 people from Scandinavia and 103 from Canada). The relative impact of the meteorological determinants on the use of public space was calculated, and a factor analysis was performed. Disparities between Canada and Scandinavia as well as between the climate zones represented were analysed using ANOVA. Overall results showed that the most significant meteorological enablers for the use of outdoor public spaces in winter were solar gain, snowfall and snow-covered surfaces. The main barriers were slush-covered and icy surfaces, rainfall and darkness. Wind and cold were conditions with less influence. The impact of rain and ice, however, differed between climatic zones. It was also established that, when addressing the meteorological impact on avoiding the use of public spaces in winter, it is vital to discriminate between conditions related to a) the ground surface and b) ambient conditions, as well as the particular significance of c) snow and sun, and d) darkness. For the design of public space in winter cities, we conclude that designers need to focus on a wider range of weather conditions than sun, wind and cold, and include snow, rainfall, slushy and icy ground and poor visibility. The study suggests that winter public space has a higher climatic design requirement to be successful than streets and pathways that are mainly used for soft mobility.

scholarly journals Affective Atmospheres of Sexualized Hate Among Youth Online: A Contribution to Bullying and Cyberbullying Research on Social Atmosphere

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim R. Sylwander
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
School Climate ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Affect Theory ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Affective States ◽  
The Everyday

Abstract In this study, I will introduce the concept of affective atmospheres previously developed by Anderson (Emot Space Soc 2:77–81, 2009) and Anderson and Ash (2015), to explore young social media users’ articulated experiences of aggressive behaviour on a popular social networking site in Sweden. This concept opens up for inquiring into bullying, and other aggressive behaviour, as encounters, not only between humans, but also with non-human bodies, and the potentialities to act and the affective states that such meetings enable. In this way the paper contributes to bullying research on school climate and social atmosphere. The paper applies an affect theory approach to atmosphere to explore the importance of different materialities for the production of feelings and emotions surrounding the everyday articulations of hate among these users. The findings suggest that hate, in this context, works through a sexualized and gendered affective regime, which enforces a chrononormative logic, through which temporalized norms are tied to notions of age and bodily growth, that is, through heteronormative expectations of femininity, masculinity, sexuality and age-appropriateness. I found that affordances such as anonymity facilitated and intensified the circulation of hate, feeding into an atmosphere of constant risk. However, I also detail how affordances such as anonymity and hyperlinking, and practices such as hashtagging, enabled expressions of friendship, love and support, thus counter-balancing an atmosphere of hate and enabling it to become bearable for certain targeted users. In this context, sexualized aggression is normalized and expected, but nonetheless also troubled and resisted by these young users. By applying the concept of atmosphere, the paper sheds light on the affective workings within social online settings that become saturated with sexualized and aggressive practices, where certain users become repeated targets of such practices.

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