Belonging to digital communities
Author
Stanzyte, Kristina
Term
4. term
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-09-15
Abstract
Denne kandidatafhandling undersøger, hvordan digitalisering forandrer den menneskelige praksis med at samles i fællesskaber. Fokus er digitale fællesskaber og oplevelsen af tilhørsforhold i dem. Afhandlingen begynder med at beskrive det netværkssamfund, vi lever i, præget af globale informationsstrømme og hurtig teknologisk udvikling, og spørger, hvordan online og offline rammer hænger sammen og former hverdagslivet. Fire områder belyses: økonomi og arbejdsmarked, sociale relationer og kultur – set gennem netværk og digital kommunikation. Afhandlingen ser deltagelse i virtuelle fællesskaber som en udbredt social praksis, især i økonomien. Nye C2C-modeller i deleøkonomien og fremvæksten af brands, der primært opererer på digitale platforme, har ændret markeder og forbrugsmønstre. Mange samler sig i dag omkring brands online, hvor de skaber relationer og køber og sælger i overvejende kropsløse, teknologimedierede interaktioner. For at forstå, hvordan man kan føle tilhørsforhold til fællesskaber uden fysisk form, fokuserer studiet på millennials (Generation Y). Det bygger på flere dybdegående interviews, som udforsker, hvordan de ser deres plads i den digitale verden. Derudover analyseres et konkret digitalt fællesskab ved hjælp af netnografi: det globale fællesskab omkring Airbnb-brandet, en ledende virksomhed inden for C2C på tidspunktet for studiet. Forskningsdesignet er socialkonstruktivistisk og interpretivistisk, hvilket er velegnet til at indfange de betydninger, mennesker tillægger den digitale verden og deres praksisser i den. Målet er ikke at give en generel definition af tilhørsforhold online, men at udforske, hvordan elektronisk kommunikation understøtter relationsdannelse og skaber en følelse af fællesskab. Digital kommunikation vurderes side om side med mere traditionelle former for at fremhæve det særlige ved virtuelle interaktioner.
This thesis examines how digitalization is reshaping the human practice of gathering into communities. It focuses on digital communities and the experience of belonging within them. The study begins by describing the networked society we live in—shaped by global information flows and rapid technological change—and asks how online and offline settings relate and influence everyday life. It looks at four areas: the economy and labor market, social relationships, and culture through the lens of networking and digital communication. The thesis treats participation in virtual communities as a widespread social practice, especially in the economy. New C2C models in the sharing economy and the rise of brands that operate mainly on digital platforms have changed markets and consumption patterns. Many people now gather around brands online, where they build relationships and buy and sell through largely disembodied, technology-mediated interactions. To understand how people can feel they belong to communities without a physical form, the study focuses on millennials (Generation Y). It includes several in-depth interviews to explore how they see their place in the digital world. It also analyzes a concrete digital community using netnography: the global community around the Airbnb brand, a leading company in the C2C field at the time of the study. The research follows a social constructivist and interpretivist approach, which is well suited to exploring the meanings people attach to the digital world and their practices within it. The aim is not to produce a single, universal definition of online belonging, but to explore how electronic communication supports relationship building and creates a sense of community. Digital communication is examined alongside more traditional forms to highlight what is unique about virtual interactions.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
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