Utilizing Facebook to Articulate Self and Sustain Community: Experiences of Undergraduate Students on a Midwestern Campus

Facebook is an online social networking site that connects people through intentionally constructed virtual social relationships. It has been an integral component in campus life throughout the world since 2006, extending outside of higher education networks and into mainstream society (Moral & Sandhu, 2009). Facebook has changed the landscape of human social, political and romantic interactions. This research explores the impact this online platform has on college students, by studying the behaviors, experiences, and perspectives of undergraduate students at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. The primary question guiding this research is: How do college students use Facebook to fulfill social needs in the creation and maintenance of community while attending college? The methodology used in this qualitative study is a blend of netography (Kozinets, 2010) and face-to-face individual interviews. It examines their cultures as mediated and articulated online and in person. The data consists of an analysis of transcribed interviews, email communications, and the interactive content of student Facebook users' Facebook Walls. The results indicate that students use Facebook for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: fostering and maintaining community; nurturing relationships; making public statements and protecting privacy; establishing a personal identity; building social capital; establishing cultural competency; coping; and critiquing their peers and campus. The data is situated within literature on student development, and recommendations for faculty and campus personnel are offered.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Dayton

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Abney Korn, Karen L.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Twale, Darla

• Higher Education
• Social Media
• Facebook
• College Student
• Residential
• Netography
• Qualitative
• Identity
• Critique
• Capital
• Relationships

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1354555912

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:dayton1354555912