All the World Wide Web’s a stage: The performance of identity in online social networks

Abstract

This paper discusses how ideas of performance can be used to conceptualize the play of identity formation on social networking sites (SNS). Linking Goffman's theories of social performance with Granovetter's notion of the social tie, this paper will argue that identities on SNS are deliberately constructed performances that straddle the frontstage and the backstage, the public and the private, and in doing so both support and rely upon webs of social connections which engage with fluid or playful identity constructions.

The fragmented educator 2.0: Social networking sites, acceptable identity fragments, and the identity constellation

“…These findings lead to a very different view of identity than the dominant perspective in the literature, which assumes that individuals have an authentic identity and suggests that they attempt to express these identities in varying degrees via social media (Greenhow & Robelia, 2009;Mohamed, 2010;Pearson, 2009). Facebook, for instance, is built on the premise that people have authentic identities and that those identities can be expressed and shared in online spaces by connecting people together as "friends."…”

“…To understand identity within SNS, Pearson (2009) has argued that SNS participation may be best understood in Goffman's (1959) dramaturgical sense: identity or the self is a dramatic effect based upon how we "act" (in the theatrical sense) in various contexts to achieve social benefit. However, this interpretation has not been empirically supported and relies on a non-unitary, fluid view of identity, which does not align with the authentic identity models that prominent SNS are designed around.…”

Building Fictional Ethos: Analysing the Rhetorical Strategies of Persona Design for Online Role Play

“…Furthermore, building ethos among virtual personas involves the continuous forging and maintenance of online relations. Just as Pearson (2009) discusses the importance of both strong and weak social ties within social networks, Krista's design of her persona, The Parent, attends to these relations.…”

“…Described by others as 'social semiotics' (Lemke, 2006), 'sociality' (Merchant, 2006) or 'social ties' (Pearson, 2009), the interactivity of online social networks is said to mediate meaning and shape notions of knowledge. In other words, interpretation is shaped not only by the members of a given participatory culture, but also by how they interact within their shared spaces.…”

Goffman’s front stage and backstage behaviors in online education

“…Similarly in online education, the student's front stage (in the LMS) and backstage (online and offline) are parts of the "whole student" separated by a login page. Previous studies have used Goffman to produce a fuller account of how Internet users engage across the backstage and front stage spaces (Bullingham & Vasconcelos, 2013;Hogan, 2010;Pearson, 2009;Ross, 2007;Trammell & Keshelashvili, 2005). My research applies and extends Goffman's stages to include:…”