Unfolding the interplay of self-identity and expressions of territoriality in location-based social networks

Abstract

Self-identity in mobile location-based social networks (LBSN) is a relatively underexplored topic. In this paper, we present our initial understandings on the role that LBSN play in the self-identity of its users and introduce a relationship between self-identity and expressions of territoriality in LBSN. Our work presented in this paper is based on a six-week study using a novel LBSN called GeoMoments. Our primary purpose is to draw attention to the importance of potential perceived power facilitated by identity claims over an area, and to the temporal nature of the layered meanings of physical places in LBSN so they can be drawn upon as a resource for design.

Sounding Out Ethnography and Design: Developing Metadata Frameworks for Designing Personal Heritage Soundscapes

“…In the following we use two short vignettes from autoethnographic studies to explore connections between memory, sound, and place suggesting that rich personal textual reflections on one's self as we encounter the world (i.e., "confessional tales," see [12]) can point towards broader conceptual opportunities for designing and locating media. The (auto-)ethnographic vignette is used here in order to communicate about felt and personal aspects of experience.…”

“…Unpacking the multifaceted nature of place and the part that sound plays in the making of place is complex. Looking at the literature that explores the interplay of people and place, it immediately becomes evident that this requires a multidimensional approach as it consists of several interacting factors such as affect, mobility, knowledge, beliefs, and behavior, with the most important aspects being place dependence and place identity [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. As such through these we can see that a tension that transcends spatiality exist between people-place relationships and sound can play a significant role in altering these, as it enables individuals to become emerged in space while appropriating "uncharted environment" so as to interpret and reinterpret their surroundings through it [30].…”

“…There is a genuine case for using autoethnographic design approaches to locate personal media as it goes beyond conventional "implications for design" [11], is more than a "scenic" study [10], or an 'imposed' analytic. It is a method of imagination, a lens through which to discover social and personal potentials in design, a way to set in motion our imaginations around how to shape intangible forms of media in a tangible world, to support a selfor autobiographical design [12] agenda. Its purpose is to elaborate and explore shared meanings and expressions into space; sonically, architecturally, temporally, and semantically.…”

“…However, this is not to say that there are not studies that use autoethnography as a methodological framework. Recent research in regard to the design of mobile technologies [15][16] and also within the field of media and informatics [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] indicates an interest in new ways of framing and motivating research, that one would argue is of particular relevance to a range of academic communities.…”

Untitled

“…In the context of LBSN, self-identity has been helpfully defined as the way individuals choose to present themselves through their locational movements as mediated by LBSNs such as Foursquare [74,77]. As a corollary to this, and moving beyond LBSN usage to include embedded human traits [48], a similar line of research has emerged that examines notions of human territoriality, and the tendency people have to control a geographic area in order to exert their influence, and to underline and affirm their place in the world [66,68].…”