Constructing gender identities on social media: A study of young adults in Aotearoa New Zealand
Loading...
Supplementary material
Other Title
Authors
Ezel Sertkaya, Canan
Author ORCID Profiles (clickable)
Degree
Grantor
Date
2024-12
Supervisors
Type
Conference Contribution - Oral Presentation
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
Aotearoa
New Zealand
youth
identity construction
gender construction
Facebook
social media
New Zealand
youth
identity construction
gender construction
social media
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Ezel Sertkaya, C. (2024, December 2-6). Constructing gender identities on social media: A study of young adults in Aotearoa New Zealand [Paper presentation]. ITP Research Symposium 2024 + OPSITARA 2024, Auckland, New Zealand.
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6772
Abstract
As social media use continues to rise, it becomes essential to explore the processes of identity creation and expression in digital spaces. This talk will specifically explore how young adults (aged 18-25) in Aotearoa New Zealand perform their gender identities on Facebook. The presentation will cover the findings of a study that employed a two-phase methodology to examine four main aspects of online gender differences: usage frequency and motives; language use; visual self-presentation; and perceived privacy and self-disclosure. The first research phase comprised 10 focus groups with 39 participants, prioritising young adults’ personal narratives. In the second phase, a multimodal critical discourse analysis (MCDA) was utilised to explore 160 public Facebook profiles of young adult users living in New Zealand. The findings suggest that normative gender performativity is prevalent, although some research subjects exhibited non stereotypical forms of self-presentation. While gender-related differences were observed, they were often less pronounced than what earlier studies had anticipated. Stereotypical self portrayals were most evident in photos, with both research phases revealing that many users had a likelihood to replicate traditional gender roles in images. The findings also highlight an empowering potential of Facebook for gender and sexuality diverse users, such as facilitating coming out, finding support, or socialising. This study makes several significant contributions to the body of scholarship. Primarily, it is the first to examine gender performativity on social media within the Aotearoa context. It also integrates the experiences of gender and sexuality diverse users into the discussion on identity performance online. Additionally, the study employs triangulation, emphasising the importance of emerging adults’ own voices and agency in narrating their experiences. This approach enhances the credibility, reliability, and comprehensiveness of the research.
Publisher
Permanent link
Link to ePress publication
DOI
Copyright holder
Author
Copyright notice
All rights reserved