Abstract
The wide use of social media has facilitated new social practices that influence place
meaning. This paper uses a double case study of two neighborhood blogs in gentrifying
communities, to explore the role of social media in sharing place associations
and community formation. Drawing on Collins’ theory of interaction ritual
chains, this research project investigates how the intertwining of online and offline
interaction around the blogs creates interaction chains whereby the place associations
of participants in the blog become more aligned, creating an alternative place
narrative. Analyses of the dynamics of involvement with the blogs show how social
interactions spurred by the blogs generate emotional energy, group solidarity, feelings
of morality, meaningful symbols, and feelings of place attachment among the
participants. This article illuminates how the emerging process of place (re)making
spurred by interaction with the blog emerges from both everyday unplanned behavior
and strategic aims of the actors.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 906-924 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | City & Community |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Research programs
- ESSB PA