MA Research Paper

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Sociology

Supervisor

Dr. Scott Schaffer

Abstract

Social media has become a salient part of the social world. However, social media platforms are no longer solely for conversing with others; they have become a tool for self-presentation and the curation of self. This paper explores how previous social media research and scholars can be used to understand the intentionality displayed by Instagram users as they construct their online identities and profiles. Additionally, this paper aims to further understand this process by approaching it as a process of curation through a Bourdieusian lens. Bourdieu’s sociological lens will allow for a further understanding of the intentionality behind social media practices by providing insight into how the social media functions as a field separate from the physical social world. Further exploration on how the process of curation impacts the notion of self and identity is needed to understand the notion of profileness that has penetrated this social space.

Download

Included in

Sociology Commons

Share

COinS