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To Post, or Not to Post? Exploring Adjunct Faculty and Staff Social Media Use Among a Converged Mixed Audience

Ritchie, Katelyn
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8187-8365
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1530269223303294

Abstract Details

2018, MA, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: Communication.
This study explores how adjunct faculty and staff use social media among a converged mixed audience. With social networking sites (SNSs) serving as digital spaces where various social spheres often converge, the result can dramatically impact how an individual presents oneself and can even negatively impact one’s behavior culminating in self-withdrawal. Specifically, through in-depth interviews, the present research seeks to understand how adjunct faculty and staff self-present among a collapsed audience, or “context collapse” (Marwick & boyd, 2011); the different concerns and challenges they face; and how a collapsing of audiences can lead to self-withdrawal. Results of the present study suggest that context collapse is occurring frequently on adjunct faculty and staff members’ social media accounts—particularly the blurring of personal and professional boundaries. However, SNS platforms are found to not only serve as sites of context collapse but also afford tools to restore context by allowing users to segment audiences. This study finds support for audience segmentation strategies covered in existing literature, but also expands overall methods to include Facebook groups and lists. In addition, participants were classified along a continuum into four different behavioral categories, including: Strict Separators, Savvy Segmenters, Positive PG Posters, and Reluctant Participants. Future avenues for further research around adjunct faculty and staff, the blurring of personal and professional boundaries, and self-withdrawal are also discussed.
Nancy Jennings, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Pamara Chang, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Eric Jenkins, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
91 p.
Communication
Self-Presentation; Social Networking Sites; Context Collapse; Self-Withdrawal; Audience Segmentation; Adjunct Faculty and Staff

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ritchie, K. (2018). To Post, or Not to Post? Exploring Adjunct Faculty and Staff Social Media Use Among a Converged Mixed Audience [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1530269223303294

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ritchie, Katelyn. To Post, or Not to Post? Exploring Adjunct Faculty and Staff Social Media Use Among a Converged Mixed Audience. 2018. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1530269223303294.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ritchie, Katelyn. "To Post, or Not to Post? Exploring Adjunct Faculty and Staff Social Media Use Among a Converged Mixed Audience." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1530269223303294

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1530269223303294
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© 2018, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.