Gendered self-representation and empowerment on social media in the United Arab Emirates

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Communication Review

Publication Date

1-1-2021

Abstract

Social networking sites (SNSs) provide a set of affordances that allow young adults to represent various aspects of their gendered identities and construct their identity-related experiences. This paper adopts Goffman’s concepts in relation to social media and his dramaturgical theories of the self as a framework for the study of online self-presentation. The paper uses the Explanatory Sequential Mixed Method Design. The study conducted a quantitative survey of 110 college students followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews with a group of 30 students to examine how college students from four Emirati universities appropriate social media to engage in online self-representations of their gendered identities. The findings suggest that SNSs serve as a liberating force in a cultural context where traditional rules are changing and young adults are at the forefront of driving these changes.

ISSN

1071-4421

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Arab gendered identity, empowerment, Self-representation, social media, UAE, young adults

Scopus ID

85111868657

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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