scholarly journals Digital prefigurative participation: the entwinement of online communication and offline participation in protest events

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Mercea
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Participatory Processes ◽  
Risk Event ◽  
The Uk

This article reviews the main findings of a three year empirical study that examined the possible contribution of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to participation in offline social movement protest events. Participation was examined as manifest in mobilisation, identity-building and organisational transformation. Digital prefigurative participation is a tentative construct that attempts to capture the CMC aspect of engagement in the three processes. The participatory processes were probed in the contrasting circumstances of high and low risk protest events. This distinction has revealed some important differences in the structural factors that foster participation, primary among which has been organizational affiliation. Yet, it has remained largely unexplored in studies of Internet use in protest politics. Findings from two case studies of environmental protests in Romania and the UK suggest that digital prefigurative participation may be extensive among unaffiliated participants at a low-risk event and the affiliated at a high-risk one.

scholarly journals ‘As if nobody’s reading’?: The imagined audience and socio-technical biases in personal blogging practice in the UK

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Brake
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Critical Technology ◽  
Site Use ◽  
Interactionist Perspective ◽  
Initial Survey ◽  
The Uk

This thesis examines the understandings and meanings of personal blogging from the perspective of blog authors. The theoretical framework draws on a symbolic interactionist perspective, focusing on how meaning is constructed through blogging practices, supplemented by theories of mediation and critical technology studies. The principal evidence in this study is derived from an analysis of in-depth interviews with bloggers selected to maximise their diversity based on the results of an initial survey. This is supplemented by an analysis of personal blogging’s technical contexts and of various societal influences that appear to influence blogging practices.Bloggers were found to have limited interest in gathering information about their readers, appearing to rely instead on an assumption that readers are sympathetic. Although personal blogging practices have been framed as being a form of radically free expression, they were also shown to be subject to potential biases including social norms and the technical characteristics of blogging services. Blogs provide a persistent record of a blogger’s practice, but the bloggers in this study did not generally read their archives or expect others to do so, nor did they retrospectively edit their archives to maintain a consistent self-presentation.The empirical results provide a basis for developing a theoretical perspective to account for blogging practices. This emphasises firstly that a blogger’s construction of the meaning of their practice can be based as much on an imagined and desired social context as it is on an informed and reflexive understanding of the communicative situation. Secondly, blogging practices include a variety of envisaged audience relationships, and some blogging practices appear to be primarilyself-directed with potential audiences playing a marginal role. Blogging’s technical characteristics and the social norms surrounding blogging practices appear to enable and reinforce this unanticipated lack of engagement with audiences. This perspective contrasts with studies of computer mediated communication that suggest bloggers would monitor their audiences and present themselves strategically to ensure interactions are successful in their terms. The study also points the way towards several avenues for further research including a more in-depth consideration of the neglected structural factors (both social and technical) which potentially influence blogging practices, and an examination of social network site use practices using a similar analytical approach.

Cyber Conflict and Management

2012 ◽  
pp. 1088-1095
Author(s):  
Kumi Ishii ◽  
Brittany R. Black
Keyword(s):  
Daily Life ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Cyber Conflict

With the diffusion of networked technology in our society, online communication has become an integral part of daily life, and conflict no longer occurs only in face-to-face (FtF) contexts. Many people experience cyber conflict (i.e., a perceived incompatibility of goals among two or more cyber parties over computer-mediated communication (CMC) or online communication) and manages it online. While research in this significant and emerged topic is scattered across contexts and disciplines, this chapter provides preliminary knowledge by discussing the antecedents and outcomes of cyber conflict as well as factors that affect cyber conflict management. The chapter also offers future research directions.

Examining Online Communication

2016 ◽  
pp. 213-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael G. Hughes ◽  
Jennifer A. Griffith ◽  
Cristina Byrne ◽  
Darin S. Nei ◽  
Lauren Harkrider Beechly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Means Of Measurement ◽  
Computer Mediated Communications

Methods of individual communication continue to expand through online media. Given the dynamic nature of online communications, traditional methods for studying communications may not suffice. A hybridized content analytic approach that combines qualitative and quantitative methods offers a unique methodological tool to researchers who seek to better understand computer-mediated communications and the psychological characteristics of those who communicate online by evaluating qualitative information using quantitative methods. This means of measurement allows researchers to statistically evaluate whether investigated phenomena are occurring in combination with the richness that qualitative assessment provides. As with any approach to computer-mediated communication, various ethical considerations must be borne in mind, and, thus, are discussed in concert with this hybridized approach to content analysis.

scholarly journals Talking a team into being in online workplace collaborations: The discourse of virtual work

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Darics ◽  
Maria Cristina Gatti
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Work ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Discourse Practices ◽  
Computer Mediated

Digital communication technologies led to a revolution in how people interact at work: relying on computer-mediated communication technologies is now a must, rather than an alternative. This empirical study investigates how colleagues in a virtual team use synchronous online communication platform in the workplace. Inspired by the conceptualisation of web-based communication platforms as tool, place or context of social construction, we explore the discursive strategies that contribute to the construction of the team’s shared sense of purpose and identity, a collegial atmosphere and consequently lead to effective collaboration. The close analyses of real-life data from a multinational workplace provide insights into the everyday communication practices of virtual team members. Our findings supplement organisational literature based on etic observations of the effectiveness of virtual work and provide a basis for further theorisations about how communication technologies affect the ecology of and discourse practices in computer-mediated communication at work.

Computer Mediated Communication in Universities and Further Education Establishments

2011 ◽  
pp. 296-308
Author(s):  
Elayne Coakes ◽  
Dianne Willis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Large Percentage ◽  
Communication Process ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Universities And Colleges ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
The Uk

This paper investigates the use of computer mediated communication (CMC) in colleges of further and higher education in the UK. Analysis is carried out by institutional type as preliminary investigation shows there are considerable differences between universities and colleges in terms of email usage. A total of 30 institutions replied to the survey: 14 Universities and 16 Colleges, some by email, others by post. This percentage is approximately 6.5% of all universities in the UK and 7% of all colleges. Whilst not a large percentage in total the results were so consistent across the sectors’ replies that they can be considered sufficiently representative of their sector. The study focuses on the use of email in support of the communication process and offers insights into the range of practice involved.

Swearing, moral order, and online communication

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Jay
Keyword(s):  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Moral Order ◽  
Emotional Speech ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Internet Behavior ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Interpersonal Characteristics ◽  
Opening Section

Abstract This paper addresses problems with swearing on the internet. The opening section of the paper defines swearing (uttering offensive emotional speech) as a ubiquitous form of impolite human behavior. Swearing can occur wherever humans communicate with each other and that it appears in computer-mediated communication (CMC) is not surprising. The second section documents how swearwords appear in email, blogs, Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube and in other practices and sites (trolling, 4chan). Swearword use is situated in the context of emerging research on impoliteness and moral order (politeness norms and standards that govern internet behavior). Online swearword use is a function of moral order, as well as users’ interpersonal characteristics such as age (younger more likely than older users), gender (men more likely than women), the time of day (later in the day and evening), and a website’s social composition (adversarial and male dominated more than homogeneous friendly sites). The paper concludes with suggestions for dealing with internet swearword use where regulation is desirable and feasible. Websites and communities should develop moral order norms that at a minimum restrict illegal forms of speech (e.g., credible threats of violence, workplace sexual harassment).

scholarly journals Computer-Mediated Communication

Communication ◽  
2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eun-Ju Lee ◽  
Soo Youn Oh
Keyword(s):  
Contextual Information ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Group Processes ◽  
Dyadic Interaction ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Computer Mediated

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is an umbrella term that encompasses various forms of human communication through networked computers, which can be synchronous or asynchronous and involve one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many exchanges of text, audio, and/or video messages. Early research has focused largely on how mediation by technology alters the processes and outcomes of social interaction and group processes, addressing issues such as how people express and construe self-identity, form and manage impressions, develop and maintain relationships, build communities, collaborate at a distance and make collective decisions, mostly in contrast to non-mediated, face-to-face communication. As such, core theories that guided earlier studies highlight the dearth of socio-contextual information as the defining characteristic of CMC working to its disadvantage. However, they were soon challenged by alternative models underscoring individual users’ active accommodation to the limited channel capacity and even more strategic appropriation of the constraints of the medium. In a similar vein, the dichotomous view that differentiates the “real” from the “virtual” gradually was replaced by the perspective that underscores the blurring boundary and the fluid interaction between the two. At the same time, researchers have also investigated who turns to online communication as opposed to offline, face-to-face interaction, and with what consequences. Going beyond dyadic interaction between unacquainted individuals, social and psychological implications of CMC have also been examined in various contexts, such as distributed workgroups (computer-supported cooperative work: CSCW), social network sites (SNSs), and online games.

scholarly journals Code-switching in the computer-mediated communication

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 405-415
Author(s):  
I. Darginavičienė ◽  
I. Ignotaitė
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Social Construction Of Reality ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Communicative

Most authors admit that code-switching is the process of switching different languages, their varieties, speaking styles, etc. Today the majority of people in the world are multilingual and often mix languages in different ways, which makes code-switching a quite common global phenomenon. Code-switching incorporates government, cultural, religious and network contexts, and the frequency of code-switching in such multilingual conversations is an indicator of the global dominance of multilingualism. Online communication fosters social communicative practices consisting of code-switching and marks the development of verbal behaviour of multilingual communities. Code-switching also affects language visuality, its images are tools for the social construction of reality. The developed verbal practices support effective communication and affect the expression of new meanings. The article aims at presenting the features of code-switching in digital communication with 8 examples of different length, topic and author, in which the native Lithuanians code-switched to English and used elements of the Internet language. These examples were taken from the social networks Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, and the authors analyzed the grammar, spelling and punctuation of both Lithuanian and the English words, the type and use of the code-switched English elements, special characters, abbreviations, emoji and other features of the Internet language. The results show that online communication is not entirely textual, with various means of text composition communicators make their code-switched English elements more visible and alter the appearance of messages. Such practices correspond to the features of social networks and seem to follow the popular Internet culture trends.

Computer-Mediated Communication - The Power of Email as a Driver for Changing the Communication Paradigm

2011 ◽  
pp. 106-130
Author(s):  
Dianne Willis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Communication Paradigm ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Uk

Email has been with us now for a long time and is being increasingly adopted as a major communication tool in UK Higher Education (HE) establishments (colleges of Higher and Further Education and universities). As the use of email grows, the effect on communication patterns needs to be established. This chapter looks at current communication and working practices within a Higher Education institution in the UK (the author’s own). A survey has been conducted to elicit people’s feelings about the use of email and how they see future patterns of communication developing within the establishment. The questions that the survey set out to answer were as follows: • Preferred methods of communication; • Advantages and disadvantages of each of the communication methods utilized at Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU); • Efficiency of email; • Items not suitable for email transmission; • Ethical considerations in using email; • Who is contacted using email; and • Increase or decrease of email usage in the future. The specific focus of the survey was to elicit how staff feel about the increasing dependence on the use of email within the institution, and these findings are discussed in the results section. The chapter will present a literature review of the area, the framework for the study, the methodology utilized, the results of the questionnaire, conclusions and future trends.

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