Why the caged bird sings: cultural factors underlying the use of online social networks among Saudi Arabian and UK users

摘要

The 21st century has seen a dramatic rise in Internet access and connectivity across theudworld. To date, only a small amount of research has been published on the subject ofudculture and Internet usage. This thesis investigates whether, and how, individuals fromudtwo different cultures (Saudi Arabia and the UK) engage with online social networksud(OSNs) differently, and what might be the underlying psychological factors explainingudsuch differences.ududA first qualitative study used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA;udSmith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) to investigate motivations for using OSNs amongudSaudi and British participants. Both groups reported that they used OSNs to present audpositive self-image, while desiring to maintain a sense of their ‘genuine’ self in onlineudinteractions. For Saudi participants, OSNs also provided opportunities for selfexpressionudthat were otherwise unavailable. British participants reported using OSNs forudrelationship maintenance.ududA second qualitative study also looked at motivations, but narrowed the focusudto identity motives, applying motivated identity construction theory (Vignoles, 2011) touda thematic analysis of tweets written by citizens of Saudi Arabia and the UnitedudKingdom. Motives for meaning, belonging, distinctiveness, continuity, efficacy, andudself-esteem were all detectable in the tweets of both Saudi and British users. Theudmanner in which these motives were pursued varied according to the cultural context ofudusers within the affordances of the online context in which they were communicating.ududThe research project then aimed to establish a way of measuring differences inudonline self-presentation strategies, by developing the online self-presentation strategiesudscale (OSPSS). Items were selected using exploratory structural equation modellingud(ESEM). The scale was incorporated in a large-scale (N = 694) quantitative study ofudSaudi and British OSN users that measured self-presentation strategies, motivations ofudOSNs use and target audience. Mediation analyses were conducted to find out whetherudcultural differences in these dimensions were explained by two forms of culturaludvariation: relational mobility and Schwartz’ theory of basic values. Self-enhancementudvs. self-transcendence values and relational mobility, more than openness to change vs.udconservation values, accounted for mean differences between the groups in motives,udtargeted audiences and self-presentation strategies.ududTogether the studies reveal observable differences in the ways in which peopleudfrom Saudi Arabia and the UK engage with OSNs. These are partially explained by theudaffordances that social media provide, which compensate for the unavailability ofudcertain modes of expression and communication within offline cultural contexts, and byudcultural differences in value priorities.