Towards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channels

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorWalton, Marionen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorScholtz, Katharinaen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-15T10:27:35Z
dc.date.available2015-09-15T10:27:35Z
dc.date.issued2013en_ZA
dc.description.abstractMobile communications have added an ever present layer to our personal communication through which social dynamics can be reconstructed. In youth culture specifically, instant messaging allows young people to achieve limited autonomy, explore peer groups and an evolving sense of self. This dissertation explores a model for understanding how instant messaging facilitates this. Theories of media ecologies provide useful ways of explaining media environments. Nonetheless ecologies are usually conceptualised in relation to mass media rather than networked media and tend to assume that ecologies are situated in a particular physical space. The theory is nonetheless useful in understanding the everyday experience of young people using media. By extending media ecology theory to account for the personal communicative ecologies of instant messaging, this study extends the notion of ecology to account for a sense of digital social space outside the constructs of physical space. Through taking an interactional epistemological stance, qualitative research was conducted. Two focus groups were conducted to explore how instant messaging channels meet the needs of a group of young people from middle class contexts in Cape Town. The resultant discussions are applied to the framework of a 'layered' communicative ecology, taking technology, social and discursive layers into account and establishing the centrality of social space within a new and expanded model of networked messaging ecologies. The central aim of this research is to explore how relevant the application of media ecologies would be to an exploration of digital spaces of communication and practice.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationScholtz, K. (2013). <i>Towards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channels</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Centre for Film and Media Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13985en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationScholtz, Katharina. <i>"Towards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channels."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Centre for Film and Media Studies, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13985en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationScholtz, K. 2013. Towards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channels. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Scholtz, Katharina AB - Mobile communications have added an ever present layer to our personal communication through which social dynamics can be reconstructed. In youth culture specifically, instant messaging allows young people to achieve limited autonomy, explore peer groups and an evolving sense of self. This dissertation explores a model for understanding how instant messaging facilitates this. Theories of media ecologies provide useful ways of explaining media environments. Nonetheless ecologies are usually conceptualised in relation to mass media rather than networked media and tend to assume that ecologies are situated in a particular physical space. The theory is nonetheless useful in understanding the everyday experience of young people using media. By extending media ecology theory to account for the personal communicative ecologies of instant messaging, this study extends the notion of ecology to account for a sense of digital social space outside the constructs of physical space. Through taking an interactional epistemological stance, qualitative research was conducted. Two focus groups were conducted to explore how instant messaging channels meet the needs of a group of young people from middle class contexts in Cape Town. The resultant discussions are applied to the framework of a 'layered' communicative ecology, taking technology, social and discursive layers into account and establishing the centrality of social space within a new and expanded model of networked messaging ecologies. The central aim of this research is to explore how relevant the application of media ecologies would be to an exploration of digital spaces of communication and practice. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 T1 - Towards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channels TI - Towards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channels UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13985 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/13985
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationScholtz K. Towards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channels. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Centre for Film and Media Studies, 2013 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13985en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentCentre for Film and Media Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherMedia Theory and Practiceen_ZA
dc.titleTowards understanding mobile messaging ecologies : an exploration of the meanings young people attach to instant messaging channelsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMAen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_hum_2013_scholtz_k.pdf
Size:
1.18 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Masters