Att vara eller inte vara: En kritisk kvalitativ studie om betydelsen av sociala medier för identiteten
2020 (Swedish) Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis Alternative title
To be or not to be : A critical study about the meaning of social media for the identity (English)
Abstract [en]
This thesis is a critical study which seeks to challenge the ordinary perspective of social media and the consequences on the subject’s identity. In doing so the study applies critical theory which allows for a deeper understanding of the subject’s comprehension of social media and has the potential to unveil underlying oppression which serves an emancipatory capacity for the everyday user. Members of social media experience the platform as a necessity in order to exist and participate in society. If you don’t have a digital identity you don’t have an identity at all in worst cases. To confront this compulsion the study takes the perspective of Bauman’s subjectivity fetishism, Goffman’s theories of regional behavior and Scheff’s theory of the deference-emotion system. Social media platforms exist within the capitalist framework which needs to extract value in order to survive. In consumer society feelings of pride threatens its survival which makes the domination of shame among members of such society essential. Idealization of the elite legitimate one’s shame and suppress the capacity to identify oppressive structures and false consciousness among citizens. The study seeks to shed light in which way our society might evolve into if its members fail to recognize what dominates them.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages 2020. , p. 45
Keywords [en]
Critical theory, subjectivity fetishism, Goffman, deference-emotion system, social media, identity.
Keywords [sv]
Kritisk teori, subjektivitetsfetischism, Gofman, hänsynsemotionssystemet, sociala medier, identitet.
National Category
Sociology (excluding Social Work, Social Psychology and Social Anthropology)
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-42408 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-42408 DiVA, id: diva2:1440584
Subject / course Sociology
Educational program Social Change and Social Sustainability, 180 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
2020-06-162020-06-152025-10-01 Bibliographically approved