Gatti, Flora (2021) Citizens' Self-in-Community and Ubiquitous Social Media Use: Disentangling Modern Local Community Experience. [Tesi di dottorato]

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Abstract

The present research project aims at shedding further light on how citizens experience their local communities (that is, neighborhoods and cities) in modern times. It specifically deepens the interplay between citizens' self-in-community – that is, their experience of and ties to their local community meant as a relational entity and to its places – the physical and social features of their communities, and their use of modern ubiquitous, locative, social media with community-related aims. Indeed, on the one hand, local communities have become increasingly spatially and socially closed, with consequences in the opportunities citizens have to experience their social dimensions. Nevertheless, on the other hand, the spread of ubiquitous, locative, social media has produced a more complex social ecosystem and opportunities that have become easily available to citizens. In light of the above, the community-related use of two different mainstream platforms (Instagram and dating People-Nearby Applications), which have sprung up spontaneously regardless of the stated aims of these platforms, have been deepened as potential strategies users could have played out to take advantage of the possibilities offered by ubiquitous, locative, social media and sustain their SoC when more traditional paths were not feasible due to their community spatial and/or social features. Thus, the present research project will address Instagram and dating People-Nearby Applications community-related uses to deepen (a) the needs underlying these uses, and (b) which are the paths through which these uses can enhance users' tie to their local community. It comprises four studies, as the two research questions are tackled with reference to the two considered social media community-related uses. As to the first research question, multilevel models were run in order to take into account individual and community features that could encourage citizens in using these social networks with reference to their local community. As to the second research question, multiple sequential mediation models have been run with Structural Equation Modeling to disentangle how the considered uses associated with users' local social experience and Sense of Community. Overall, the results from these studies highlight the complexities related to modern local community experience and suggest that social media could provide relevant contributions to this as tools providing citizens with new opportunities and resources to be activated. Becoming aware of these complexities and of the implications deriving from them allows opening new perspectives with reference to both further research questions and innovative practices and interventions to be implemented.

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