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Cross-cultural comparison of Korean and American social network sites
Descriptive
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Text
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Title
Cross-cultural comparison of Korean and American social network sites
SubTitle
exploring cultural differences in social relationships and self-presentation
TitleInfo
(ID = T-2);
(type = alternative)
Title
Exploring cultural differences in social relationships and self-presentation
Identifier
ETD_2399
Identifier
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http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.000052104
Language
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eng
Genre
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theses
Subject
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(authority = RUETD)
Topic
Communication, Information and Library Studies
Subject
(ID = SBJ-2);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Online social networks
Subject
(ID = SBJ-3);
(authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Information technology--Social aspects
Abstract
National culture is being challenged as societies evolve from their homogeneous origins. The theoretical base of this study uses two cultural dimensions, individualism-collectivism (Hofstede, 2001) and high-and low-context cultures (Hall, 1976), to unpack the effects of national culture on social network sites (SNSs). This study explores cultural differences in SNS usage patterns employing multiple methods, a paper-and-pencil survey and a content analysis of SNS profiles of survey respondents. The final analyses include a survey with 602 SNS users (361 college students in the United States and 241 college students in Korea) and a content analysis of 151 online profiles (58 Facebook and 93 Cyworld profiles).
The survey findings revealed that SNS relationship patterns replicated those of face-to-face, while reflecting users' cultural orientations. In the survey findings, members of collectivistic cultures maintained SNS relationships more tightly and narrowly. While indicating such closed SNS relationships, they also exhibited lower levels of amount of self-disclosure, higher levels of intimate and vulnerable self-disclosure, and a greater willingness of privacy sharing than members of individualistic cultures. More visually anonymous online profiles also led to their closed SNS relationships by requiring random visitors, including old friends, to attain supplementary information to identify the user. As interdependent entities, members of collectivistic cultures paid more attention to self-presentation behaviors than members of individualistic cultures. The effect of individuals' cultural attitudes on SNS usage was mostly reconfirmed in the comparison by nationality while providing evidence of the effect of national culture. In the findings of the content analysis, Cyworld users from high-context cultures adopted more indirect communication styles that represent high-context cultures than Facebook users who adopted more direct communication styles that represent low-context cultures.
The evident influence of national cultures on SNSs suggests revisiting the cultural dimensions, individualism-collectivism and high-and low-context cultures, to explore how they may explain patterns specific to particular cultures. The findings also suggest that international versions of SNS services that may be developed with the assumption of homogenous global populations of users need to be designed with the consideration of how culture influences use and shapes SNS behaviors.
The survey findings revealed that SNS relationship patterns replicated those of face-to-face, while reflecting users' cultural orientations. In the survey findings, members of collectivistic cultures maintained SNS relationships more tightly and narrowly. While indicating such closed SNS relationships, they also exhibited lower levels of amount of self-disclosure, higher levels of intimate and vulnerable self-disclosure, and a greater willingness of privacy sharing than members of individualistic cultures. More visually anonymous online profiles also led to their closed SNS relationships by requiring random visitors, including old friends, to attain supplementary information to identify the user. As interdependent entities, members of collectivistic cultures paid more attention to self-presentation behaviors than members of individualistic cultures. The effect of individuals' cultural attitudes on SNS usage was mostly reconfirmed in the comparison by nationality while providing evidence of the effect of national culture. In the findings of the content analysis, Cyworld users from high-context cultures adopted more indirect communication styles that represent high-context cultures than Facebook users who adopted more direct communication styles that represent low-context cultures.
The evident influence of national cultures on SNSs suggests revisiting the cultural dimensions, individualism-collectivism and high-and low-context cultures, to explore how they may explain patterns specific to particular cultures. The findings also suggest that international versions of SNS services that may be developed with the assumption of homogenous global populations of users need to be designed with the consideration of how culture influences use and shapes SNS behaviors.
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electronic resource
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x, 222 p. : ill.
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Ph.D.
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Includes bibliographical references (p. 170-178)
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by Seong Eun Cho
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Cho
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Seong Eun
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1973-
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Seong Eun Cho
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Gibbs
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Jennifer
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Jennifer L Gibbs
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Scott
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Craig
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Craig R Scott
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O'Connor
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Daniel
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Daniel O O'Connor
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Kim
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Sung Tae
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Sung Tae Kim
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Rutgers University
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Graduate School - New Brunswick
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2010
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2010-01
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xx
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Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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ETD
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Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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rucore19991600001
Identifier
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doi:10.7282/T3833S6Z
Genre
(authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD doctoral
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Rights
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
Copyright
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Copyright protected
Notice
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Availability
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Open
Reason
Permission or license
Note
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Cho
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Seong Eun
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2010-01-05 16:13:27
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Seong Eun Cho
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Rutgers University. Graduate School - New Brunswick
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I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
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