Sexual and gender identity work on social media

Colosi, Rachela, Cowen, Nick and Todd, Megan (2023) Sexual and gender identity work on social media. Sociology Compass . e13073. ISSN 1751-9020

Full content URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.13073

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Sexual and gender identity work on social media
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Abstract

How do sexual and gender minorities use social media to express themselves and construct their identities? We discuss findings drawn from focus groups conducted with 17 sexual and gender minority social media users who shared their experiences of online harms. They include people with gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, asexual, non-binary, pansexual, poly, and kink (LGBTQ+) identities. We find that sexual and gender minorities face several challenges online, but that social media platforms provide important spaces for them to feel understood and accepted. We use Goffman's work to explore how sexual and gender minorities engage in ‘front region’ performances online as part of their identity work. We then turn to Hochschild's concepts of ‘feeling rules’ and ‘framing rules’ to argue that presentations of self, or front region performances, must include the role of feelings and how they are socially influenced to be understood.

Keywords:digital platforms, gender, sexuality, identity, stigma
Subjects:L Social studies > L310 Applied Sociology
L Social studies > L321 Women's Studies
L Social studies > L300 Sociology
L Social studies > L391 Sociology of Science and Technology
L Social studies > L320 Gender studies
Divisions:College of Social Science > School of Social & Political Sciences
ID Code:53228
Deposited On:14 Feb 2023 11:06

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