LGBTQ Identify construction in online spaces

LGBTQ (GSD) OnlineSexual Minority Identity in the Online Space

Disclaimer:Built on Western Views of Sexuality

Predominately Gay/Bi-Male/ MsM Focussed

Sexuality throughout is treated as constructive not essentialist

Wednesday, 20 March 13

Self Identity and Modernity

• Self Identity is reflexive

• Pre Modernity identity was given

• Ego Centric World View Point

• Identity is the ability to maintain a narrative

1. Hermannsdóttir, M. B. Self-Identity in Modernity.Wednesday, 20 March 13

Shame and Guilt

Guilt is the fear is misbehaving

Shame is the anxiety about sufficiency of narrative

1. Hermannsdóttir, M. B. Self-Identity in Modernity.Wednesday, 20 March 13

High-level Questions

“Who Am I?”

“How Should I live?”

“Where did I come from?”

“Where am I going?”

1. Hermannsdóttir, M. B. Self-Identity in Modernity.Wednesday, 20 March 13

SIT (Social Identify Theory)

• Social Categorization

• Social Comparison

• Social Identity

• Self Esteem

1. Trepte, S. Social identity theory. Psychology of entertainment 255–271 (2006).Wednesday, 20 March 13

http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/psychology/social/Tajfel's_Theory_of_Social_Identity.jpgWednesday, 20 March 13

Cyber Studies

• Community

• Community Building

• Community Development

• Identity

• Development and Management of Identities

Wednesday, 20 March 13

Cyber Queer

“The “cybersubject” appeared to be the ultimate manifestation of queer theory, as it

was seen to transcend the physical world in a parallel space, where it freely and flexibly

could pick and choose who to be.”

1. Tudor, M. Cyberqueer Techno-practices: Digital Space-Making and Networking among Swedish gay men. (2012).

Wednesday, 20 March 13

“All the World, in feminist and Queery Theory, it would seem, is no longer a

stage, but a screen.”(Sue-Ellen Case 1995)

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“Gay youth use the web like no other subset of the population. ... What exists

today was completely unheard-of even 10 years ago”(cited in Alexander, 2004)

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Information

Audience Identity

1. Woodland, R. ‘I plan to be a 10’: Online literacy and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. Computers and Composition 16, 73–87 (1999).

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News Groups

Message Boards

Chat Rooms

Web Sites / Social Networks

MUD / Lamda MOO

AOL Created First

Cyberspace

1. Woodland, R. ‘I plan to be a 10’: Online literacy and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. Computers and Composition 16, 73–87 (1999).

Wednesday, 20 March 13

Youth Narrative

• Inclusive Space, Social Space, Health Information, Support Groups.

• Hyper personal Interactions (Walther, 1996)

• Not primarily going online for dates, sex, or pornography.

1. Paradis, E. Searching for Self and Society: LGBT Youth Online.Wednesday, 20 March 13

Representation Online

• Allows for an increased self narrative

• Hyper Masculine Constructions (Gaydar.com)

• Identities built on deception

1. Tudor, M. Cyberqueer Techno-practices: Digital Space-Making and Networking among Swedish gay men. (2012).

Wednesday, 20 March 13

Playing with Gender

• Stage case of the electronic lover

• 58% / 60% Gender Swap

• “It enables me to play around with aspects of my character that are not normally easy to experiment with.”

1. Hussain, Z. & Griffiths, M. D. Gender Swapping and Socializing in Cyberspace: An Exploratory Study. CyberPsychology & Behavior 11, 47–53 (2008).

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Mind

BodySex

Gender

Offline Identity Construction

Wednesday, 20 March 13

Body

SexGender

Mind

Online Identity Construction

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Safety and Risk Online

• Identity Safety

• False Names

• Defensive nature of information

• Physical Safety

• Perceived meeting risk

• Physical Risk

1. Tudor, M. Cyberqueer Techno-practices: Digital Space-Making and Networking among Swedish gay men. (2012).

Wednesday, 20 March 13

Bridging the Online and Offline (People Near By Applications)

• Online interactions to an offline interaction

• High-gain High-risk interactions

• Social Embarrassment

• Emotional Harm

• Physical Risk

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Research Question

Do near people applications allow for youths to interact offline, or is it

driving people further online.

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Thank You

Wednesday, 20 March 13