Short description:

A Networked Self examines self presentation and social connection in the digital age. This collection brings together new work on online social networks by leading scholars from a variety of disciplines.  The volume is structured around the core themes of identity, community, and culture?the central themes of social network sites. Contributors address theory, research, and practical implications of the many aspects of online social networks.

Long description:

A Networked Self examines self presentation and social connection in the digital age. This collection brings together new work on online social networks by leading scholars from a variety of disciplines. The focus of the volume rests on the construction of the self, and what happens to self-identity when it is presented through networks of social connections in new media environments. The volume is structured around the core themes of identity, community, and culture ? the central themes of social network sites. Contributors address theory, research, and practical implications of many aspects of online social networks including self-presentation, behavioral norms, patterns and routines, social impact, privacy, class/gender/race divides, taste cultures online, uses of social networking sites within organizations, activism, civic engagement and political impact.

"The complex and sometimes contradictory phenomena of social media are among the most discussed aspects of digital culture today, and A Networked Self examines these phenomena through a variety of perspectives and approaches from sociology and communication theory. The collection offers new insights into the ways in which the affordances of social media lead users to construct, maintain, and remix their identities online. It provides solid evidence that we as a culture are indeed reshaping our social and political lives in and through social media. Both for its variety and depth, this collection will be an important resource for all students of digital culture for years to come."?Jay David Bolter, Georgia Institute of Technology

"In this book, the field's top scholars address the wide range of issues raised by contemporary online social networks. Bridging social scientific and critical approaches, the authors offer sharp data-driven analyses that will be of keen interest to students and researchers."?Nancy Baym, University of Kansas

"This is an insightful treatment of social networking networks in general."?
--B. G. Turner, Faulkner University

"This collection offers an extensive exploration of many of the emergent elements and important considerations related to social networking. It contains much new evidence about how people engage with social networking sites....." -- Sue Cranmer, Futurelab, UK

Table of Contents:

Introduction and Keynote to the Networked Self

Albert-László Barabási

Part One

Context: Communication Theory and Social Network Sites

1. Interaction of Interpersonal, Peer, and Media Influence Sources Online:

A Research Agenda for Technology Convergence

Joseph B. Walther, Caleb Carr, Scott Seung W. Choi, David DeAndrea, Jinsuk Kim, Stephanie Tom Tong, Brandon Van Der Heide

2. Social Network Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics, and Implication

danah boyd

3. Addictive, Compulsive, or Just Another Habit?

Robert LaRose, Junghyun Kim, and Wei Peng

4. Social Network Exploitation

Mark Andrejevic

Part Two

Social Textures: Emerging Patterns of Sociability on Social Network Sites

5. Social Network Sites as Virtual Communities

Malcolm R. Parks

6. "With a little help from my Friends: How social network sites affect social capital processes"

Nicole Ellison, Cliff Lampe, Charles Steinfield, and Jessica Vitak

7. From Dabblers to Omnivores:A Typology of Social Network Site Usage

Eszter Hargittai and Yu-Li Patrick Hsieh

8. Exploring the Use of Social Network Sites in the Workplace

Mary Beth Watson-Manheim

Part Three

Convergent Practices:Intuitive Appropriations of SNS Affordances

9. United We Stand? Online Social Nework Sites and Civic Engagement

Thomas J. Johnson, Weiwu Zhang, Shannon L. Bichard, and Trent Seltzer

10. Between Barack and a Net Place: Users and Uses of Social Network Sites and Blogs for Political Information

Barbara K. Kaye

11. Working the Twittersphere: Microblogging as professional identity construction

Dawn Gilpin

12. Look at us: Collective Narcissism in College Student Facebook Photo Galleries

Andrew L. Mendelson and Zizi Papacharissi

13. Copyright, Fair Use and Social Networks

Patricia Aufderheide

14. Artificial Agents Entering Social Networks

Nikolaos Mavridis

Conclusion: A Networked Self

Zizi Papacharissi