Exploring Presentations of the Self: Tourist Identity and Representation on Facebook

content analysis;Facebook;identity;qualitative research;representation;social media;symbolic interactionism;tourism;travel

Cohen, Helen Sarahadvisor:Boluk, Karla ; affiliation1:Faculty of Applied Health Sciences ; Boluk, Karla ;

University of Waterloo

关键词: Master Thesis;    content analysis;    identity;    tourism;    qualitative research;    symbolic interactionism;    travel;    Facebook;    representation;    social media;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/13593/5/Cohen_Helen.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

The aim of this study is to explore how tourists present and manage impressions of the self as tourist, on Facebook, while travelling. This study applies a qualitative content analysis to the tourism-related, user-generated content of individual Facebook pages with the aim of exploring mid-travel tourism identity representation on Facebook. A literature review uncovered a shortage of academic research on the mid-travel phase of tourism consumption, prompting the focus of this study. The study is framed through the lens of symbolic interactionism, the theoretical perspective guiding this research journey. Eight semi-structured interviews were carried out, and a constant comparative analysis was applied to generate three main themes, each with subsequent sub-themes. The results include a discussion on place and self representation, perpetuating popular destination images, situating the self as part of a collective, and social media engagement and reciprocity. Opportunities for future research in social media tourism are elucidated.