Degree Name
MA (Master of Arts)
Program
Sociology
Date of Award
5-2011
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Paul Kamolnick
Committee Members
Leslie A. McCallister, Joseph O. Baker
Abstract
This thesis applies methodological and micro-sociological insights derived from the pioneering social psychologist Georg Simmel (1858-1918) to the contemporary social media platform, Facebook. In opposition to previously-reported one-sided, polarized analyses (i.e. either/or, pessimistic or optimistic), this study suggests a more nuanced judgment: interaction viewed as social exchange reveals that individuality is often promoted though can occasionally be hindered; while most exchanges are ill-suited for sustaining interpersonal value, they ironically facilitate enhanced trust; and finally, the unique structure of site-based exchange generally facilitates rather than undercuts constructive conflict.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Makely, Jeremy David, "Beyond Cyberpessimism and Cyberoptimism: The Dual Nature of Social Network Site Interaction." (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1280. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1280
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons