Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: \n\nOBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY\nThe study seeks further understanding on the phenomenon of blogging by exploring its relation to\nconsumer identity construction. Blogging motivations, functions of symbolic consumption in selfpresentation\nand strategies how bloggers manage their privacy in social media are explored. In\nfocus of the study are bloggers who engage in "lifestreaming"’, i.e. blogging is anchored to the\nrhythm and resources of one’s mundane everyday life.\n\nMETHODOLOGY\nThe findings ground on interviews held with 17 bloggers who ranged in age from 23 to over 50\nyears old and represented all range of sociocultural backgrounds. Interview technique of\nautodriving (Heisley and Levy 1991) was used which purpose is to elicit reactions to individual’s\nown consumption activities – here the activities in consumers’ personal profiles and spaces in\nsocial media. In data analysis, narrative approach was taken using a hermeneutic framework to\ninterpret consumer stories and consumption meanings (Thompson 1997).\n\nFINDINGS\nThe motivations found in blogger stories are self-documentation and group spirit which support\nprevious research emphasizing social interaction. Symbolic consumption was found function\ndifferent ways in blogging performances and in terms of blogger identity. In the first it was\ninstrumental in balancing identity conflicts that arose from unfitting life themes in relation to the\ncommunity one is part of. In the latter, consumption was found to create sense of self and social\nlinkages in signifying affiliation and distinction from others in the blogosphere. Two strategies\nhow bloggers manage their privacy in relation to community and social media in general were\ndistinguished: privacy as strategic act and privacy as control.\n\nKeywords: blogging, consumer identity, self-presentation, symbolic consumption,, selfdisclosure,\nsocial media, privacy
Source: Aaltodoc (Aalto University)
Author: Saara Jänkälä
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2602640919