Social Networking and the Self - Research Proposal Example

Running Head: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Social Networking Social Networking and the Self Name Class Date Social Networking and the Self Introduction Can Facebook make you feel better about yourself? Merely by asking the question merit is assigned to the idea that Facebook participation has the power to improve self-image. As individuals engage in contact with others on Facebook they begin to develop an online identity that is not plagued by issues that can shadow social interaction in real life. The individual can reveal as much or as little as they choose, even though there is the inherent danger that someone who is a contact or friend can reveal something that is undesired through commentary on an individual’s page. In addition, as shown through the documentary film Catfish, although there is some question of its documentary status, individuals can completely disguise themselves, cloaking themselves in the separation that is present because of the Internet barrier that exists between users. There are a great number of concepts that can be addressed when trying to examine the topic of Facebook and its effect on the individual for feeling better. Socialization aspects of the experience of Facebook can be examined for how they affect the individual. Psychological effects on the individual in relationship to self-image open up a rich wealth of information on how the social network has worked so well and in how it has affected the individual self-image. Social research methods that are qualitative provide the best possible structure through which to begin to understand the experience of participating in Facebook and how it affects the sense of self and the feeling of well-being that comes from successful social interaction. Through the framework of experience that can be identified with Facebook experience, a discovery of how the self is elevated and satisfaction is attained can be understood through research that is based on qualitative methods. Through the examination of the phenomenon of Facebook participation, a greater understanding of self-image and well-being can possibly be achieved. Significance The Internet has become a social experience as much as an informational resource through which the self and identity have come to mean something new. The constructed identity that is a part of the online social experience has different parameters than the real world self that has imposed ideas that do not necessarily become a part of the online identity. Kelsey (2010) discusses the development of social networking as a consequence of the proliferation of the Internet throughout society. The use of Facebook approaches and sometimes breaches the line of addiction when the idea that something might be missed begins to interrupt normal life and the sense of withdrawal becomes a real consequence of being denied access. As millions of users are now ‘plugged in’, the discussion about identity and self as it relates to online social experiences is becoming a significant contribution to understanding modern society and the changes that technology has created. Research Problems Three research problems that can help to frame the question that has been asked are as follows: 1. How does anonymity in the sense of a lack of face to face contact play into the ability of the individual to express their identity in different and maybe more meaningful ways that may not occur in real life social settings? 2. Is the online persona in conflict with the real world identity or is it a reflection of a truer sense of self than is possible when external forces press upon an individual’s ability to express their true nature? 3. How does Internet addiction play into the exploration of an individual’s identity as they engage too deeply in Internet interaction over that of interactions within the real world? The best possible form of analysis for these questions would begin with qualitative research in which participants are put through an interview process that is designed to discover the experience of being on Facebook. Using open ended questions, the interviewer would engage in a semi-structured interview that explored the concept of self as it relates to the sense of well-being that might be experienced through Facebook participation (Strauss, 1987). Through qualitative research the concept of quantification is largely abandoned in favor of coming to an understanding of meanings that emerge about concepts. There are several different perspectives on how to approach the emergence of themes of experiences about a topic. These three questions each have the potential for several approaches, but will be examined for one type of perspective each for the purpose of this paper. The first question can be approached through transformational learning and adult development theory. Mesirow, the chief ‘architect’ of this theory proposes that “significant learning in our lives involves meaning making that can lead to a transformation of our personality or worldview” (Anfara and Mertz, 2006, p. 24). The transformational core of this type of experience is that it is development, transcending from one level of development to the next. This framework of inquiry seeks to understand how new experiences transform adult development through showing how meaning is given to experiences. Studying an element of inquiry through this framework provides for a focus on meaning which helps to explain the overall phenomenon. The experience of developing a persona devoid of many of the obstacles that exist in real life will support the inquiry into how meaning is realized as the online persona creates well-being and a elevated sense of self that is different from the real world experience. The second question can be analyzed through the grounded theory. The grounded theory of qualitative research is based upon an exploration of emerging themes as they come to light through codified commonalities that can be found through the gathered data. While the data is gathered through interviews in which observations and individual experiences are related to the researcher, grounded theory analysis occurs as commonly understood experiences begin to create patterns within the data. Through codifying these patterns, hypotheses emerge post the data collection which is the reverse of most methods of collection data and analyzing it against presumed hypotheses (Babbie, 2010). In finding out what kinds of conflicts emerge between the real life identity and the Facebook identity, a hypothesis can be formulated to understand the experience and shed light on the general topic. The third question can be explored through a phenomenological method of research and analysis. Husserl and Heidegger developed the theory of phenomenology in 1962 as both a philosophical and methodological approach to scientific discovery (Wheeldon and Ahlburg, 2012). Husserl and Heiddegger developed the approach as a way of discovering and classifying subjective experiences. Schultz in 1967 used the approach as a way to incorporate everyday experiences into the field of research in order to reveal meaning and implications about society. Phenomenology can be used to discover memories, perceptions, and descriptions of social interactions. Wheeldon and Ahlburg (2012) write that “Through the discovery of ‘social realities,’ phenomenology attempts to provide specific meanings and references for the way in which human beings live, act, and think” (p. 96). Through exploring the question of addiction and online identity through phenomenology, the experience of creating an online identity and living with it through social interaction to the point that it becomes an obsession that takes over one’s living experience is analyzed for commonalities and differences that provide context for understanding the social meaning that emerges as a result of social networking interactions and online personas that override the real life experiences of the individual. Scientific Method The scientific method of research intends for a topic to be explored through data that can be calculated to show meaningful relationships between variables. The scientific method provides for the exploration and verification of hypotheses through objective calculation of data. Taylor (2005) writes that “The scientific method is designed to discover valid methods of research finding reasons and explanations for controlling natural phenomena that can be replicated” (p. 3). Scores and measures yield data that can be used to explore the relationships between variable which will either prove or disprove an initial hypothesis. In some ways, the answers to a quantitative study are determined before the study has been completed, where in qualitative study the answers are discovered through the process of inquiry. Research methods in qualitative study are about the related experience of individuals where quantitative research is typically done through mass participation which eliminates the individual in favor of the group. In human study this means that large groups of participants are used to find the mean across the population rather than to find the meaning in the experience of phenomena that is being studied. Taylor (2005) states that “The basic thrust of all research is to solve problems and to expand knowledge of our universe which necessitates that it is carefully and systematically conducted” (p. 4). Research, whether it is quantitative or qualitative, must be carefully constructed so that the results can be reliably used to inform about the world as it is engaged through human existence. The qualitative methods that have been discussed for the purposes of this study in comparison the scientific method of discovery provide a different approach towards discovering realities about the world. In relationship to the inquiry in question, the scientific method would likely miss some of the more relevant concepts that are important to understanding the phenomenon of ‘feeling better’ when using Facebook. While a quantitative method could efficiently answer questions along the lines of how, where, when, and who, the answer of why would best be answered through inquiry that is more direct in the qualitative study. As an example, looking at the mean number of people who feel better when they use Facebook would be valuable, but it is more valuable in relationship to the question to understand why they feel better which is a an aspect of the inquiry that could be quantified, but would likely still leave gaps in understanding the experience that creates the feeling of ‘better’. Researching the idea of feeling better when using Facebook could be examined through the scientific method and the statistical evaluation. It could be studied using scientific measures that look at the brain as it reacts to the various stimuli that create a feeling of well-being when using Facebook. The research could be conducted through surveys that measure the sense of well-being as it is assessed on a Likert scale, numbers one through five representing scaled responses to how a participant feels and experiences Facebook use. These types of inquiry do not really explore the experience from the perspectives of the participants. In order to create a social relevance to the results of a study, it is important that the inquiry focus on how the experience of the targeted event influences social structures. The world can be better understood when the perspectives of individuals who are a part of a group that has specific similar experiences relate their stories to increase the understanding of a section of society. A social science perspective must rely on the premises laid out for scientific method because in order to support the conclusions research must be performed towards reliability. Unfortunately, reliability is more subjective in qualitative inquiry and often times repeating qualitative results is not possible. Where scientific method must be repeatable to be reliable, this is not the case in qualitative study as the individual experience is unique and may not be the same across populations (Babbie, 2010). Where reliability is somewhat subjective, the data that is collected through qualitative studies provides groups of data that supply commonalities and differences so that variables can be created through codification of the data that has been collected. Case studies provide a medium through which individual stories can reflect aspects of the overall human experience about a specific kind of event, and through looking at the data that is collected through these case studies, the event that is being Exploring the question “Can Facebook make you feel better about yourself?” requires using social research methods that are based upon qualitative approaches to the problem. Through semi-structured interviews and the collection of experiences through listening and observing participants as they relate their stories, the social researcher has the opportunity of understanding the experience and defining meanings through which the phenomenon can be explained. The approaches of transformational learning and adult development, phenomenology, and the grounded theory provide frameworks through which the study can be conducted towards the production of good data that can be analyzed for content and meaning. Although the scientific approach is focused on reliability and repeatability, the qualitative approach recognizes that sometimes experiences are unique, but still reflect on the overall human experience. The study that would be conducted on this topic would work best through qualitative inquiry that is designed with methods that provide the highest level of data while still seeking experience. References Anfara, V. A., & Mertz, N. T. (2006). Theoretical frameworks in qualitative research. Thousand Oaks: Sage. Babbie, E. R. (2010). The practice of social research. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth Cengage. Kelsey, T. (2010). Social networking spaces: From Facebook to Twitter and everything in between: a step-by-step introduction to social networks for beginners and everyone else. New York: Apress. Strauss, A. L. (1987). Qualitative analysis for social scientists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Taylor, G. R. (2005). Integrating quantitative and qualitative methods in research. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Wheeldon, J., & Ahlberg, M. (2012). Visualizing social science research: Maps, methods, & meaning. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications. Read More