Thesis Title: Subtitle

Keywords

Space, Facebook, self-presentation, friendship, social network site, architecture
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications (ANZSRC) ANZSRC code: 160808, Sociology and Social Studies of Science and Technology 80% ANZSRC code: 160899 Sociology not elsewhere classified, 20 %

Fields of Research (FoR) Classification

FoR code: 1608, Sociology, 100%
Contents

Abstract 2
Declaration by author 4
Acknowledgements 7
List of Figures 13
List of Tables 14
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Facebook and Late Modernity
Facebook and popular discourse 16
Late Modernity, Individualisation and Place 20
Social Network Sites: Concerns and Possibilities 22
Research Questions 23
Some definitions 25
Research Aims 27
Rationale 28
Why Facebook: A Short History of Social Networking Sites 28
Why research adults? 31
Overview of thesis 32
Chapter 2 - Literature Review: Technology, Mediated Communication and Facebook
Introduction 36
Understanding Technology in Late Modernity 37
Mobile Phones: The Overlap of Social and Technical Spheres 40
Electronic Media, Identity and Space 44
New Spaces and Electronic Media 48
Social Networking Sites: The Story so Far 50
Social Networking Sites and Social Relationships 57
Social Capital and Social Networking Sites 61
Conclusion 64
Chapter 3: Methodology and Methods 64
Introduction 66
Ontological and Theoretical Assumptions 67
Choosing Methods: A Critical Realist Approach 70
Case Study: Strengths and Limitations 71
Case Studies and Generalisability 71
Sampling and Recruitment: Creating a Sample 73
Structured Questionnaire 74
Interviewing 75
Conducting the Interviews 76
Accounting for Mediated Interviews 77
Characteristics of the Sample 79
Chain Referral Sampling: Techniques and Limitations 82
Characteristics of the Sample: Critical Reflection 83
Analytical Approach: Producing Theory From a Critical Realist Perspective 86
Coding and Analysis: Abduction and Retroduction 86
Ethical Issues 89
Conclusion 91
Chapter 4 - Real Friends: Understanding Friendship and Facebook
Introduction 93
Friendship: The History of a Concept 94
A Brief History of Friendship 95
The Sociology of Friendship 101
What is a Friend?: Talking About Friendship in Late Modernity 105
Flexible friendship: what does Facebook do? 111
Locating and Sustaining Connections 112
Peripheral Friendships on Facebook 118
Conclusion 124
Chapter 5 - Facebook: An Edited Self?
Introduction 126
Distinguishing between the Self and Identity 127
Understanding the Self and Identity Online 130
Presenting the Self on Facebook: What Do I Say? 133
The Edited Self: Self-presentation on Facebook 139
The Unthinking Script: Conscious and Unconscious Self-presentation 148
Seeing Patterns: Assessing the Authenticity of Facebook Self-presentation 151
Conclusion 155
Chapter 6 - Agency and Architecture: Constituting Facebook as a Space
Introduction 158
The internet: A Space and Place? 160
Constituting Space and Place 160
Objective Architectural Constraints: Making Facebook a Place 165
Facebook: Public, Private or Parochial? 168
Configuring Parochial Space as a ‘Village Square’: Gemeinschaft and Reflexivity 176
Conclusion 185
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Identifying Parochial Spaces Online 189
Affordances: Intimacy With Flexibility 192
A Case For the ‘Authentic’ Self? 195
Quality and Quantity: Distinguishing Between Social Relationships Online 196
Contribution to Knowledge: The Big Picture 199
Limitations and Future Research 201
Final Thoughts 203
References 205
Appendices 228
Appendix 1: Structured Questionnaire 228
Appendix 2: Interview Schedule 236
Appendix 3: Participant Consent Form (Questionnaire) 238
Appendix 4: Participant Consent Form (Interview and Observation) 240
Appendix 5: Participant Information Form for Questionnaire (Given to participants) 242
Appendix 6: Participant Information Form: Interviewing and Observation (Given to Participants) 244