Date of Award

1-1-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Abstract

This study examined whether and how college students use the social networking site Facebook to express their ethnic identities, as well as the tools they used and the motivations for doing so. The research is supported by Goffman’s (1959) theoretical pillar of impression management, which predicts that individuals engage in an ongoing process of constructing and managing their public identities. The ethical pillar for this study is based on Habermas’s contention that ethics are linked to accountability (Habermas, trans. 1970). Data was collected by interviewing 12 students at a community college located near Seattle, Washington. The responses were recorded, organized, and analyzed. The primary findings of this study ran counter to results published in previous literature. Namely, college students, with one notable exception, are not using Facebook as a means of expressing their ethnic identities. Rather, they indicate they use the platform to express their authentic selves as a means of staying connected to friends and family. In addition, the study suggested that college students engage in Facebook in order to connect and keep up with friends and family. The students self-reported that ethnicity does not motivate their Facebook usage.

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