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.
DOI Link
ISSN
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Keywords
Arab gendered identity, empowerment, Self-representation, social media, UAE, young adults
Scopus ID
Recommended Citation
Zaid, Bouziane; Shin, Don Dongshee; Kteish, Sarah Waled; Fedtke, Jana; and Ibahrine, Mohammed, "Gendered self-representation and empowerment on social media in the United Arab Emirates" (2021). All Works. 4428.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/4428
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
no
