Bomersbach, Marla
(2009)
Actions That Embody Virtual Space.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Many participants in computer-mediated discourse use textually described actions as tools for interaction and the creation and display of identities. In particular, members of online fan communities use textually described actions to embody virtual space in order to construct a shared identity of mutual intimacy. In this study I demonstrate the typical structure of textually described actions, using discourse data collected from three fan communities and responses to an anonymous survey. I then show how these fans use textually described actions to embody virtual space as mimicking the physical world but lacking key barriers and restraints to interaction, such as real-world distance, online communication lag time, and possibility or visibility of the action in the physical world. Using one portion of the discourse data, I illustrate how these fans, who share a high-involvement style of interaction (Tannen, 1984), utilize textually described actions to index emotional stances. These stances and the embodied virtual space are combined to construct a shared identity of a close community in which members interact with great emotional and (virtual) physical intimacy.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
| Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Bomersbach, Marla | mnb9@pitt.edu | MNB9 | |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
4 June 2009 |
| Date Type: |
Completion |
| Defense Date: |
14 April 2009 |
| Approval Date: |
4 June 2009 |
| Submission Date: |
13 April 2009 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Linguistics |
| Degree: |
MA - Master of Arts |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
community of practice; computer-mediated communication; discourse analysis; narrative |
| Other ID: |
http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04132009-204701/, etd-04132009-204701 |
| Date Deposited: |
10 Nov 2011 19:37 |
| Last Modified: |
15 Nov 2016 13:40 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/7127 |
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