Date of Award

12-2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Second Advisor

Dr. John Caputo

Abstract

Facebook is an online space where people can form a self-presentation strategy and construct an identity through a personal profile. Because women are the biggest users of Facebook, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore the factors women between the ages of 18-34 consider when putting together their identity online. The data revealed that women are acutely aware of Facebook behavior and its consequences. This awareness is demonstrated by a woman's desire to appear a certain way for a professional audience and the fact that a woman's judgment of other users affects her behavior on the social network. The findings relate to Goffman's (1959) idea of "performance" and Stryker and Burke's (2000) Identity Theory. Specifically, the findings imply that a woman transforms her identity online as she takes on new and different roles in her life, adjusting her self-presentation strategy appropriately for each role.

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