scholarly journals Language choices as audience design strategies in Chinese multilingual speakers’ Wechat posts

2021 ◽  
pp. 205943642110352
Author(s):  
Kaiwen Liu
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Potential Hazard ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Audience Design ◽  
Online Ethnography ◽  
Twitter Users

This current study reports three multilingual Chinese students’ audience design strategies on a populated Social Networking Site (SNS), WeChat. Considering the importance of audiences in shaping multilingual speakers’ language choice (Bell, A. (1984). Language style as audience design. Language in Society, 13(2), 145–204) and the potential hazard of conflated audiences in social media, as well as the comparative lack of research on Wechat which has different technical affordances from the well-researched SNS, Facebook, this article aims to shed new light on how multilingual speakers harness their linguistic repertoire to cope with the “context collapse” (Marwick, A. E., & Boyd, D. (2011). I tweet honestly, I tweet passionately: Twitter users, context collapse, and the imagined audience. New Media & Society, 13(1), 114–133) in semi-public SNS. Data collection and analysis follow an online ethnography method consisting of 588 initial posts from participants’ WeChat Moments during 1 year and semi-structured interviews. Theoretically informed by Androutsopoulos’s (2014b; Languaging when contexts collapse: Audience design in social networking. Discourse, Context & Media, 4–5, 62–73) audience specification framework, the findings reveal that although the default language in both online and offline interactions is Chinese, Wechat users have a very high sensitivity to different patterns of Chinese–English code-switching and grammatical and lexical choices in English. Meanwhile, Chinese multilingual speakers usually developed highly nuanced audience design strategies to target or partition specific groups of audience, which are far more complicated than the audience design strategies found in previous research on Facebook.

Sporting Safe in the Liminal Sphere

2016 ◽  
pp. 865-875
Author(s):  
Santosh Khadka
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Rhetorical Performance ◽  
The Web

Facebook, like any other social networking site, troubles the traditional categories of private and public spheres. As it complicates (and transcends) the distinction, it can be called a different space, or a liminal space, which falls somewhere in-between private and public spheres. The author argues that this recognition of Facebook as a liminal sphere has important implications to the (re) definition of public and private spheres and to the ways rhetoric should work or be used in the Web 2.0 sites like Facebook. The author also proposes that Michael de Certeau's notions of “strategy” and “tactics” can be powerful rhetorical tools to deal with Facebook's liminality and to enhance the rhetorical performance of self in Facebook and other similar new media forums.

scholarly journals Academic Social Networking Sites are Smaller, Denser Networks Conducive to Formal Identity Management, Whereas Academic Twitter is Larger, More Diffuse, and Affords More Space for Novel Connections

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 226-228
Author(s):  
Scott Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Network Analysis ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Professional Relationships ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ego Networks

A Review of: Jordan, K. (2019). Separating and merging professional and personal selves online: The structure and processes that shape academics’ ego-networks on academic social networking sites and Twitter. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 70(8), 830-842. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.24170 Abstract Objective – To examine the structure of academics’ online social networks and how academics understand and interpret them. Design – Mixed methods consisting of network analysis and semi-structured interviews. Setting – Academics based in the United Kingdom. Subjects – 55 U.K.-based academics who use an academic social networking site and Twitter, of whom 18 were interviewed. Methods – For each subject, ego-networks were collected from Twitter and either ResearchGate or Academia.edu. Twitter data were collected primarily via the Twitter API, and the social networking site data were collected either manually or using a commercial web scraping program. Edge tables were created in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and imported into Gephi for analysis and visualization. A purposive subsample of subjects was interviewed via Skype using a semi-structured format intended to illuminate further the network analysis findings. Transcripts were deductively coded using a grounded theory-based approach. Main Results – Network analysis replicated earlier findings in the literature. A large number of academics have relatively few connections to others in the network, while a small number have relatively many connections. In terms of reciprocity (the proportion of mutual ties or pairings out of all possible pairings that could exist in the network), arts and humanities disciplines were significantly more reciprocal. Communities (measured using the modularity algorithm, which looks at the density of links within and between different subnetworks) are more frequently defined by institutions and research interests on academic social networking sites and by research interests and personal interests on Twitter. The overall picture was reinforced by the qualitative analysis. According to interview participants, academic social networking sites reflect pre-existing professional relationships and do not foreground social interaction, serving instead as a kind of virtual CV. By contrast, Twitter is analogized to a conference coffee break, where users can form new connections. Conclusion – Academic social networking sites exhibit networks that are smaller, denser, more clustered around discrete modularity classes, and more reciprocal. Twitter networks are larger and more diffuse, which is more conducive to fostering novel connections. The author makes suggestions for how academic social networking sites could encourage network building and rethink how academic reputation is measured.

Examining the dilution of the consumer-brand relationship on Facebook: the saturation issue

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahy Ramadan
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Information Quality ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Side ◽  
Brand Relationship

Purpose Brands have been progressively using social networking sites, namely, Facebook, as part of their strategy to engage their consumers and ultimately build long-term relationships with them. Nonetheless, with the overuse of “engagement ads” by brands, saturation related to information overload is expected to be reached leading to the dilution of the consumer–brand relationship. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature which has predominantly focused on the positive side of social networking sites, and hence still lacks a thorough understanding of the potential risks brands face when using Facebook. Accordingly, this research examines the different risks brands would be facing from saturated consumers on social networking sites such as Facebook. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was conducted, with a total of 40 respondents using face-to-face semi-structured interviews over two stages. While the first stage of the study focused on examining the saturation risk and its potential negative effects, the second one explored these risks specifically on the consumer–brand relationship on Facebook. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and then coded for analysis using NVivo 8. Findings Brands are overloading their followers with passively endorsed brand messages, which are negatively affecting consumers’ experience on Facebook, as well as the relationship with these brands. This overall dilution of the consumer–brand relationship on Facebook was hence found to be affecting interaction, similarity with friends, the system quality of the social networking site, as well as information quality. Furthermore, this dilution was found to be affecting brand likability, brand trust and brand association. Originality/value The negative implications are still scarcely examined in the literature where social media engagement is predominantly discussed through a positive lens. Hence, this study has the peculiarity of discussing the risks that companies would face with Facebook’s engagement model along with their implications on the consumer-brand relationship.

Sporting Safe in the Liminal Sphere

2013 ◽  
pp. 206-216
Author(s):  
Santosh Khadka
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Rhetorical Performance ◽  
The Web

Facebook, like any other social networking site, troubles the traditional categories of private and public spheres. As it complicates (and transcends) the distinction, it can be called a different space, or a liminal space, which falls somewhere in-between private and public spheres. The author argues that this recognition of Facebook as a liminal sphere has important implications to the (re) definition of public and private spheres and to the ways rhetoric should work or be used in the Web 2.0 sites like Facebook. The author also proposes that Michael de Certeau’s notions of “strategy” and “tactics” can be powerful rhetorical tools to deal with Facebook’s liminality and to enhance the rhetorical performance of self in Facebook and other similar new media forums.

Social media as third spaces? Exploring Muslim identity and connection in Tumblr

2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 620-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosemary Pennington
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
New Media ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Muslim Identity ◽  
Hybrid Nature ◽  
The World ◽  
Muslim Majority ◽  
Third Spaces

Third spaces have been imagined as sites of resistance, where hegemonic and normative understandings of the world may be challenged. New media are often imagined to have this liberatory potential as well, particularly for those individuals who experience social, cultural, or political marginalization. This research considers whether social media might help facilitate third spaces. It takes as a case for exploring this topic the experience of 188 Muslim bloggers in social networking site Tumblr. Many of these individuals live in non-Muslim majority countries and say they sometimes feel stuck between identities. The qualitative analysis of their blogs, as well as interviews with 30 of the bloggers, seeks to understand how Tumblr can facilitate third spaces where these bloggers can explore the hybrid nature of their identities while connecting to others who share that experience.

scholarly journals An Exploration into the Impact of Social Networking Site (SNS) Use on Body Image and Eating Behavior of Physically Active Men

2020 ◽  
pp. 106082652091326
Author(s):  
Orla Flannery ◽  
Kerrie Harris ◽  
Ursula Anne Kenny
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Eating Behavior ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

The rapid proliferation of social networking sites (SNSs) has transformed the way people now socialize and communicate. SNSs have been recognized to contribute to body image (BI) dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior (EB). Few qualitative studies have explored this issue in men. The aim of the current study was to investigate male SNS use and possible impacts on BI and EB. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight men in the United Kingdom. Interviews aimed to examine men’s views on the potential impact of SNSs on BI and EB. Data were thematically analyzed. Findings suggested that SNSs may be a useful nutrition idea tool and motivational platform for men to improve their diet and exercise uptake. However, results also indicated that SNS use may contribute to BI dissatisfaction and increased risk of disorder. Future research may identify risk factors of SNS use, male BI concerns, and eating pathology across the lifespan.

scholarly journals "I communicate with my children in the game": Mediated Intergenerational Family Relationships through a Social Networking Game

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunan Chen ◽  
Jing Wen ◽  
Bo Xie
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Family Communication ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Communication Patterns ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Game Playing ◽  
Message Board ◽  
Structured Interviews

How might social networking game playing affect intergenerational family relationships? Motivated by this important research question, we examined game-based communication patterns among family members. We investigated QQ Farm, one of the most popular online games available on a Chinese social networking site. Participatory observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen pairs of Chinese parents and their adult children. Our analysis shows that game-based communication does not replace face-to-face or phone-based communication. Rather, it adds a new layer to the existing family communication patterns, which enriches the other forms of family communication and provides a new means for intergenerational family members to stay in touch. Game playing provides a light-weighted and relaxed environment for intergenerational family members to stay connected. It serves as an “I’m safe and well” message board for family members to stay connected without imposing an undue burden for anyone. Moreover, game playing implicitly conveys caring messages to family members. It becomes a new communicative topic to promote the mutual shaping of online and offline intergenerational family communication.

Socially Networking the Past

2014 ◽  
pp. 133-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Manderino ◽  
Lisa Hoelscher Ripley
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Historical Inquiry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Students ◽  
Multimodal Texts ◽  
Screen Capture ◽  
The Social

This chapter describes a historical inquiry project that used a social networking site (www.ning.com) to engage students in writing both traditionally and multimodally about the 1960's. Students were provided basic demographic information about a fictional individual living in the 1960's and then were instructed to build a social networking profile as they conducted inquiry of the 1960's over the course of eight weeks. Data were drawn from screen capture videos and semi-structured interviews (n=8) as well as online artifacts (n=185) that high school students generated to construct a profile page akin to Facebook for the project. This project demonstrated how student writing in a history class was mediated by the social networking task and the variety of multimodal texts that they could use to represent their historical inquiry.

Social Learning Sites?

2011 ◽  
pp. 249-268
Author(s):  
Mathias Decuypere ◽  
Steven Bruneel
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Sharp Distinction ◽  
The Social ◽  
Willingness To Adopt ◽  
Academic Year

Social networking sites are extremely popular nowadays – especially amongst students – and are increasingly the subjects of educational research. But there is a sparse research base on students’ willingness to adopt social networking sites in their education. In this chapter we investigate to what extent Facebook is used as an educational tool. By means of semi-structured interviews, we asked students why they use Facebook and whether they allow faculty members into their personal sites, or not. During the period of one academic year 2009-2010, 15 students of different bachelor programs in a Flemish University were interviewed several times. The results demonstrate that students draw a sharp distinction between the ways they use Facebook, and why they do so. Furthermore, they barely use the social networking site for educational purposes. Consequently, students are not inclined to allow faculty members presence (as ‘friends’ on Facebook). These results are interpreted in terms of privacy concerns, and we conclude this chapter with some critical reflections concerning the current research about the effectiveness and the educational possibilities of social networking sites.

scholarly journals Friendship and trust in the social surveillance network

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harriet Westcott ◽  
Stephen Owen
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Perceived Similarity ◽  
Geographic Proximity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Surveillance Network ◽  
Social Penetration Theory ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Penetration

This article draws on findings from semi-structured interviews to investigate an important, and previously unexplored aspect of the social networking site Twitter, which is the ways that users can employ lateral surveillance to initiate friendships.  Social penetration theory (Altman and Taylor 1973) is used to investigate the ways that Twitter provides a platform to technologically augment friendship evolution.  Three consecutive phases of online surveillance are proposed, which are: unidirectional ‘studied’ following; ‘reciprocal’ following, when interaction between the user and the Tweeter only occurs online; and fully fledged friendship, when online relations are supplemented by offline meetings.  The visibility of users via their Tweets creates information that others can use to evaluate character in what might be considered a phase of pre-friendship screening, and that this also generates trust and solidarity prior to an offline meeting. Perceived similarity between the user and the Tweeter was contributory to an assessment of their worth as a potential friend.  Geographic proximity and ‘transferable trust’ were also factors that helped offline friendship to develop. Ultimately, Twitter was an important tool for sociality, and provided a wider source of potential friends than was available offline.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document