Proposed Course for Development

Proposed Course for Development

Ethnography is qualitative research that allows the researcher to collect data through observation, which provides more information than quantitative methods. This method can be used to observe the behaviors and the causes of people’s behaviors regarding a subject or a phenomenon. In this ethnographic research exercise, the researcher will employ this research method to examine the influence that social media has on platforms where people connect. The fact that it is a social platform means that it is people’s behavior. Social media are generally described as internet-enabled platforms people use for interaction, communication, and even businesses. In other words, even though it is a platform that creates a distant connection between individuals, it can still offer enough information on people’s social behavior. Specifically, this study will focus on Facebook as an example of social media. The researcher will examine what motivates people to post their photos on social media, specifically Facebook.

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Facebook as the Strategic Site for Ethnographic Research

Facebook is a social network site that allows people to connect and share information with friends and family via the internet. Facebook currently has almost three billion users with Facebook accounts (Tiggemann & Slater, 2013). Additionally, younger adults aged between 16 and 27 years spend more than three hours per day using Facebook. Based on this finding, one can see that Facebook as a social media has a massive number of followers which makes it dense enough for a research study. It is important to note that a large sample size is significant in research. According to Dupré et al. (2019), a larger sample size is important in research since it offers a more accurate average value, identifies outliers that may pollute the research when dealing with a smaller sample, and provides a smaller margin of error. Facebook is also used most of the time. As seen above, younger adults spend an average of three hours on Facebook, which means that the amount of time spent by these people on social media is also long enough for the researcher to monitor any social behavior of interest. In addition, the features of Facebook make it the best site to conduct a study in the identified area. Users of this social site platform can engage in instant messaging, and most importantly, they can share videos and pictures on their Facebook page with friends and family. This feature is significant in monitoring an individual’s behavior, especially when friends and family react to their videos and photographs through comments and likes/loves.

Ethnographic Research on What Inspires Social Media Users to Post Personal Pictures Constantly

Background  

Even though social media is an electronic social platform that connects people remotely, the conduct of people in this social environment is of great interest to researchers because the chances of having people behaving uniquely are there. Also, people’s behavior on this social platform is of interest because social media platforms may also inform people’s behaviors in other social environments. Moreover, social media behavior is of interest because social media conduct is connected to many other social issues. For instance, social media is connected to social problems such as depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-harm. Tiggemann and Slater (2013) have supported this observation in a study that revealed that social media is connected to other social thoughts that may be positive or negative. For instance, social media is linked to social thoughts like suicidal thoughts. At the same time, social media is linked to positive beliefs of self-esteem and self-assurance. Therefore, the study of people’s behavior on social media is rich with information that can be helpful to social studies researchers and other experts concerned with human social behaviors. In this study, the researcher investigates what constantly motivates young women to post their photos on social media. This investigation is carried out through an ethnographic study using observation only. The researcher is interested in gathering the feelings of social media users towards their posts of personal photos and videos.

Notably, the researcher used ethnography for successful research in this area, relying on observation alone for 90 days among female college students. The ethnography was non-participatory because the researcher passively observed the participants without participating in the activity. The researcher spent time with these female college students during their interaction on social media and at least one hour after their use of social media. The intention of spending some time with them after their social media use was to observe their social interaction with others after social media use (Del Rio-Roberts, 2010). The researcher expected that social media interaction would impact how these participants interact with their friends.

For a better understanding and context of this study, the researcher intends to give a background to the social media behavior of female college students. The researcher will provide a brief literature review on the nature of social media interaction among younger female users. It will examine how female Facebook users use this social media site and the impacts that this method of use has on social interaction among young women.

Literature Review

Social media, especially Facebook, is used by younger people to interact and share information. Central to this information is posting personal photos and videos on Facebook pages. According to Lazard and Capdevila (2021), more women than men post their online images and videos. Other studies have also shown that even though men post their photos and videos, ladies tend to engage more in this activity than men. In a research study carried out by Dupré et al. (2019), the researcher was interested in studying the differences in behavior regarding selfies (self-captured pictures and videos) and selfie-taking and posting patterns. This research did an online survey that sampled 3763 social media users from Norway. Lazard and Capdevila’s (2021) study is the first that offers a piece of empirical evidence on how adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years, young adults aged between 20 and 30 years, and adults aged 31 to 50 years difference in their behavior toward taking selfies and posting them online. What is most important about this study is that it revealed that female social media users handle personal and group selfies and post them.

Additionally, female social media users led in filtering and editing pictures to add excitement and beauty. This research connected well with a study conducted by Dupré et al. (2019), which showed that female social media users are more interested in posting pictures showing the best of their moments and appearances on social media. Lazard and Capdevila (2021) also argued that most social media users get depressed and anxious when they lack positive feedback on their posted content with their photos and videos. These mentioned studies indicate that social media can affect users’ emotions and actions, which is why there is a strong relationship between social media use and psychological illnesses like depression, anxiety, and even social activities like suicide ideation. Also, female social media users were very keen on their facial and physical appearance on social media. In some instances, researchers argued that single female members of social media felt that their impressions on social media were essential for them to get suitors (Tiggemann & Slater, 2013). However, this argument is unfounded because social media posts by all women, including married women, are mostly centered on good looks. Therefore, these studies indicated that female social media users were mainly interested in posting their pictures and videos. Also, these videos and images published by female social media users were primarily taken when they were in their best physical appearance. Finally, the studies also show that women’s self-esteem increased in many cases. Besides, their perception of themselves was more positive when they received more likes and positive comments on their social media posts.

Based on this review, one can see that even though there are a lot of studies that show the strong relationship between social media and women’s constant behavior of posting their selfies, most studies have not narrowed it down to one single social media site like Facebook. Also, some studies have focused on social media behavior among adults in general and thus have failed to look into social media use and behavior among young adult females. There is a general agreement that social media use is linked to specific psychological issues like anxiety and depression (Lazard & Capdevila, 2021). However, there is a gap because very few studies have examined the behavior of social media users outside of their social media environment. In other words, there are no studies that examine how social media users behave in the company of other people immediately after using social media, especially after reviewing comments and likes that they receive on social media concerning their photos and videos. Accordingly, this ethnographic research will examine the behavior of social media users immediately after reviewing feedback and reactions of their friends and families to their pictures or video posts.

Aims and Objectives of the Study

In the literature review, it is evident that there are gaps in the research targeting this area of study regarding social media. It is clear that even though studies are done concerning social media use and social media impacts on users, most studies are not done concerning people’s behavior after reviewing comments and reactions on their social media. Thus, this study will try to fill the gaps by setting up the following aims and objectives.

Aim

This study explores the relationship between social media reviews and comments on young adult females’ posts and their behavior in other social settings immediately after the examination.

Research Questions

What is the relationship between comments and reactions on social media selfie posts and the social behavior of young adult females using Facebook?

Do social media comments and reviews on selfies increase and reduce self-esteem among young adult females using Facebook?

Research Objectives

To explore and question the connection between comments and reactions on selfies and the social behavior of young adult females using social media when they are outside of the social media environment.

Use an in-depth qualitative method to understand the behaviors of young adult female Facebook users immediately after reviewing comments and reactions on their Facebook posts.

Explore the concept of self-esteem in social media use among young adult female Facebook users.

Theoretically, in this project, the researcher will question the applicability of the idea of self-esteem as influenced by social media use among young adult female users of Facebook. Pragmatically, the researcher will explore the context in which young adult females post their pictures and videos on Facebook and appear to have confidence or lack confidence depending on the comments and reactions of their friends and families on their social media posts.

Methodology

Introduction to Data Collection

The data collected was through an ethnographic study carried out between March 30th and May 30^th. The ethnographic notes were kept, and they included letters written when the researcher observed the participants when using social media and at least one hour after the use of social media when the participant was interacting with other people either at work, in school, or with relatives (Black, van Os & Machen, S. et al., 2021). The researcher was keen to record observations like facial expressions and even body language that suggested any change in behavior or mood.

In total, 20 female participants were observed. These participants were sampled based on their age. In other words, the participants were young adult females aged between 16 and 25 years. The researcher also observed only those participants who used their social media for at least three hours a day. The researcher observed the behavior of these participants mostly whenever they used social media before leaving for campus.

Research Paradigm

Interpretivism is a philosophy that will guide the research study. Interpretivism is quite the opposite of positivism. This philosophical approach allows the researcher to inquire by examining a phenomenon’s context. On the other hand, positivism guides the researcher to explore a spectacle to make a scientific interpretation. Therefore, interpretivism looked at what the researcher was investigating and the philosophy that fitted well with the study. The methods chosen meant the researcher could understand the participants’ social media practices, especially concerning their behavior, after reviewing comments and reactions to the pictures they post on social media. For this reason, too, interpretivism was an appropriate paradigm.

Although interpretivism is the best paradigm for this research method, and though there are several advantages to following this philosophy, some limitations must be considered. The main critique of interpretivism is that it is very subjective. The subjective nature of interpretivism leads to data collection that cannot be replicated. In other words, when using ethnography, the data collected may be entirely restricted to the researcher’s interaction with participants. Ideally, the interpretation and the encounters with the participants are bound to be different depending on the researcher.

Data Collection Methods in Ethnography

A Passive Observer

Observation forms the foundation for most ethnographic research (Black, van Os & Machen, S. et al., 2021). This method involves observing participants and taking field notes about the participants and their actions. The researcher using this method is also free to make a personal observation of their experience as they interact with the participants. The researcher kept their distance as a passive observer and recorded statements. The researcher did their best not to interfere with the participants but to remain passive and observe. Nine factors guided the recording of what was observed. The first factor was the phenomenon (space); the actors (participant involved); activity (actions and behaviors of the participant); act (a single action); and event (what is taking place at the time); time (time frame and sequence of event); goals (what the participants intend to accomplish); and feelings of the participant (their emotions after an action) (Rankin, 2017). The researcher was guided by these factors when writing notes so that the notes had a structure. However, the researcher’s challenge was the discomfort that the participants felt when the researcher was writing data.

Analysis of Data Collected

Data analysis of the ethnographic notes was conducted through thematic analysis. Thematic analysis is an analysis approach that identifies, analyzes, and reports themes within recorded data. This method can be used to describe and interpret data like field notes. Thematic analysis was the only analysis used, which meant that there were consistencies in the coding process (Del Rio-Roberts, 2010). The coding process was then applied and compared across different data. The benefit of using thematic analysis is that it is not attached to any specific theoretical framework.

Data analysis took place from the start to the end of the research process. The process of writing data and recording results also involved an analysis. In possible cases, ethnographic notes were recorded then the letters were compared to the previous conversations and observations (Rankin, 2017). The only thing that changed was its application to the data. The field notes were collected after the statement, and these observations were placed in thematic categories. The themes helped in data collection by applying ethnography, areas of interest, and even specific occurrences. As the analysis took place in the research, pieces began to develop. For instance, themes such as the importance of uploading selfies and getting positive reactions were recorded. These themes also influenced the examination of the data collected. The following four pieces became apparent;

The significance of posting selfies

Comments and reactions on these posted selfies

The enactment of gender, particularly femininity

Gender and Facebook posting practices

Findings

The following findings were recorded after conducting the research as indicated above and thematically analyzing the ethnographic notes;

The research noted that taking selfies was common among the 20 young adult participants sampled for the study. The researcher noted that the participants took a minimum of five to eight selfies in a single day.

The researcher also noted that selfies were mainly taken in the morning after the participants were dressed up for school, over the day in specific places, and when participants were dressed in a new attire.

The researcher also found that the participants posted these selfies three to five times a day. Most of the participants posted different photos throughout the day. Very few of the observed individuals posted the same image twice.

The researcher also observed that participants were happy and interacted freely when they posted pictures and received positive responses immediately before leaving for college. Since most of these photos were taken when the participants were all dressed up for the day, it was difficult to identify moments when the comments were negative.

The researcher also observed that participants who did not receive any comments or reactions from friends and family had lower confidence levels and were sensitive about their appearance when in the company of their colleagues on campus.

Conclusion

Ethnographic research is a form of qualitative research that can involve observation and interviews. In this specific scenario, the ethnographic study is used to examine the behavior of young female adults concerning posting personal photos (selfies) on Facebook. The ethnographic approach that was used was strictly observed. After the study, the researcher found out that the comments and reactions of friends and family towards the selfies posted on Facebook had a slightly direct impact on the behavior of the young female adults when they are in another social setting. The ethnographic approach was an interesting approach that created an opportunity to collect a lot of data.

References

Black, G.B., van Os, S., & Machen, S. et al. (2021). Ethnographic research as an evolving method for supporting healthcare improvement skills: a scoping review. BMC Med Res Methodol 21, 274 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-021-01466-9

Del Rio-Roberts, M. (2010). A Guide to Conducting Ethnographic Research: A Review of Ethnography: Step-by-Step (3rd ed.) by David M. Fetterman. The Qualitative Report, 15(3), 737-739. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2010.1174

Dupré, D., McKeown, G., Andelic, N. & Morrison, G. (2019). Willingness to share emotional information on social media: Influence of personality and social context,  IEEE Fifth International Conference on Data Science and Advanced Analytics (DSAA). doi: https://doi.org/10.1109/DSAA.2018.00086.

Lazard, L., & Capdevila, R. (2021). She’s so vain? A Q study of selfies and the curation of an online self. New Media & Society, 23(6), 1642–1659. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820919335

Rankin, J. (2017). Conducting Analysis in Institutional Ethnography: Analytical Work Prior to Commencing Data Collection. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917734484

Tiggemann, M., & Slater, A. (2013). NetGirls: The Internet, Facebook, and body image concern in adolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46, 630-633

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Instructions
For the third assignment, construct a 9-11 page paper that:

a) demonstrates proficiency in setting up an ethnographic research project;

b) describes a strategic site for ethnographic research and

c) conducts ethnographic research (via observation only) and presents some preliminary findings.

Your paper should utilize sound critical thought, refer to course materials, and be written in APA format (to include a title page, abstract, appropriate in-text citations and a reference page).

IMPORTANT: This is only a mock scenario and a hypothetical research proposal. You will NOT be testing these hypotheses/research questions on human subjects in any way.

For help with APA formatting, consult the APA manual (2019) and/or the following websites:

https://apastyle.apa.org/

https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-seventh-edition-changes/

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html