Last month I finished an essay about weblogs and young parents. It concerned how the norms about young parents and the boundaries of private and public were negotiated in this space. Read it here, or as PDF (all in english).
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study has been to give an understanding of how norms and boundaries of private and public associated with young parents are expressed and negotiated on weblogs controlled by young parents. The understanding of this may lead to evaluate the weblogs as media and its role in society and culture.
The theoretical model used is based on a theoretical examination of norms as reflection of culture and society and how emotions can negotiate these norms. The model is further developed by considering how the media of weblogs restructure the boundaries of private and public and makes self-expression a question of negotiating these boundaries. Of this transformation the weblog can be considered a public space and therefore need behavior in such places also be considered.
The findings in the study show that a dominating normative perspective is supported and defended in the weblog. There is a potential for the weblog to be used as an organizing tool for the creation of a joint perspective that may cause effects in the society. Independency versus dependency is negotiated. Dependency on social welfare and parents for economical and social support are seen as unwanted and independency is premiered. Maturity and immaturity is also negotiated. Maturity is used as an argument for having a child at young age and immaturity is used a counter strategy to question the legitimacy of the young parent. Shame and pride are the overarching practical strategies for negotiating these norms. Pride has been used for changing norms to ones perspective or strengthening the perspective. Shame has been used upon others to make them feel uncomfortable about their perspective and to make them change it. Attention management is used to give focus on or to take focus from wanted or unwanted perspectives. The boundaries of private and public gets re-negotiated as leakages from backstage appear on the weblog.
