Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community
People engaging in electronic exchanges can create communities--places with socially constituted norms, values, and expectations. We adopt an anthropological perspective, yoked with a methodology based in hermeneutics, to illustrate how language use both reflects and influences culture in a virtual...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Borås
2003-01-01
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| Series: | Information Research: An International Electronic Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper162.html |
| _version_ | 1818507124050755584 |
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| author | Gary Burnett Michael H. Dickey Michelle M. Kazmer Katherine M. Chudoba |
| author_facet | Gary Burnett Michael H. Dickey Michelle M. Kazmer Katherine M. Chudoba |
| author_sort | Gary Burnett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | People engaging in electronic exchanges can create communities--places with socially constituted norms, values, and expectations. We adopt an anthropological perspective, yoked with a methodology based in hermeneutics, to illustrate how language use both reflects and influences culture in a virtual community. Our study analyses contributions to a Usenet newsgroup. Four elements of our conceptual model--coherence, reference, invention, and intention--provide mechanisms to examine a community's texts as it engages in social interaction and knowledge creation. While information exchange and socializing are intertwined, our model allows a robust understanding of the relationship between the two. Texts are not merely vehicles for communication but serve multiple purposes simultaneously. While they transfer information, texts also provide information within a social context, and create an expanding archive of socially-contextualized information well beyond the capabilities of any individual participant. This allows groups to negotiate reputations, socialize, and define the limits of their knowledge. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:14:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e8cab6be36bf488993e85ee4037139b7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1368-1613 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T22:14:17Z |
| publishDate | 2003-01-01 |
| publisher | University of Borås |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Information Research: An International Electronic Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-e8cab6be36bf488993e85ee4037139b72022-12-22T01:31:31ZengUniversity of BoråsInformation Research: An International Electronic Journal1368-16132003-01-0191162Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual communityGary BurnettMichael H. DickeyMichelle M. KazmerKatherine M. ChudobaPeople engaging in electronic exchanges can create communities--places with socially constituted norms, values, and expectations. We adopt an anthropological perspective, yoked with a methodology based in hermeneutics, to illustrate how language use both reflects and influences culture in a virtual community. Our study analyses contributions to a Usenet newsgroup. Four elements of our conceptual model--coherence, reference, invention, and intention--provide mechanisms to examine a community's texts as it engages in social interaction and knowledge creation. While information exchange and socializing are intertwined, our model allows a robust understanding of the relationship between the two. Texts are not merely vehicles for communication but serve multiple purposes simultaneously. While they transfer information, texts also provide information within a social context, and create an expanding archive of socially-contextualized information well beyond the capabilities of any individual participant. This allows groups to negotiate reputations, socialize, and define the limits of their knowledge.http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper162.htmlhermeneuticsculturevirtual communityUsenetnewsgroupssocial interactionknowledge creationinformation exchangetexts |
| spellingShingle | Gary Burnett Michael H. Dickey Michelle M. Kazmer Katherine M. Chudoba Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community Information Research: An International Electronic Journal hermeneutics culture virtual community Usenet newsgroups social interaction knowledge creation information exchange texts |
| title | Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community |
| title_full | Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community |
| title_fullStr | Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community |
| title_short | Inscription and interpretation of text: a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community |
| title_sort | inscription and interpretation of text a cultural hermeneutic examination of virtual community |
| topic | hermeneutics culture virtual community Usenet newsgroups social interaction knowledge creation information exchange texts |
| url | http://informationr.net/ir/9-1/paper162.html |
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