New insights into online consumption communities and netnography

摘要

This study provides new insights to online consumption communities by questioning the currently dominant view of communities being structured by subcultural capital and meanings pertinent to a specific field of consumption, such as one brand or consumption interest. This study argues for more sensitivity in recognizing increasing delocalization, which manifests itself in significant overlap between communities and consequently freer movement of participants between them. This study draws from a longitudinal and introspective netnographic research project in what was originally an electronic music community to discuss the consequences of this development. The study finds that delocalization manifests itself through situated individualism and delocalized performances within online consumption communities, and offers implications for future netnographic inquiry.