Digital Identit(y/ies)Andy CoverdaleChallenging the BinariesUniversity of Sheffield | 29 June 2012

Digital Identity

Socio technical and virtuality constructs

Identity is ‘multiphrenic’ (Gergan, 2000)

Identity as reified forms of social and cultural practice

Ima

ge

Je

ns

He

sse

| W

om

an

(A

fric

an

) | o

il o

n c

ord

uro

y (2

01

1)

htt

p:/

/ww

w.je

nsh

ess

e.c

om

Doctoral Context

PhD as transformative

Critical role in the development of an academic / professional identity

Positionality – locating oneself in the research ‘field’

‘Fractured subjectivities’ (Barnacle & Mewburn, 2010)

Identity and agency

Ba

se

d o

n U

she

r, R

., B

rya

nt,

I.,

& J

oh

nst

on

, R

. (1

99

6).

Ad

ult

Ed

uca

tion

an

d t

he

P

ost

mo

de

rn C

ha

llen

ge

: L

ea

rnin

g B

eyo

nd

th

e L

imits

. L

on

do

n:

Ro

utle

dg

e..

‘Confessional’ Practice (Modernist)

‘Critical’ Practice(Postmodernist)

Determined by dominant structures

Socially constructed and culturally mediated

Stable Flexible and in flux

Singular and developmental Multiple and fragmentary

Unified across multiple contexts

Diversified across multiple contexts

Identity is…

Sociocultural Perspectives

Identity as reified forms of perfomativity - social production, interaction and participation

Prioritisation, roles and ‘provisional selves’

Situated learning - increased capacity to participate in communities of practice

a socially and culturally constructed realm of interpretation in which particular characters and actors are recognized, significance is assigned to certain acts, and particular outcomes are valued over others.

Holland et al. (1998)

“ “FiguredWorld

Ho

llan

d,

D.,

La

chic

ott

e,

W.

Jr.,

Ski

nn

er,

D.,

& C

ain

, C

. (1

99

8).

Id

en

tity

an

d a

ge

ncy

in

cultu

ral w

orld

s. C

am

brid

ge

, M

ass

: H

arv

ard

Un

ive

rsity

Pre

ss.

Research Design_________________________________________

Participants

Six PhD students:• Different stages of PhD• Humanities, Soc. Sci. & interdisciplinary• UK-based - ‘traditional’ faculty & DTCs

Data Collection

15-month period:• Digital artefacts (blog posts, tweets etc.)• Field notes• Participant-reported accounts• Three interviews with each participant

Data Analysis

Activity Theory:• Descriptive analytical framework• Open coding and thick description

Some Findings_____________________________________________

Identity Construction

• Cultural artefacts• Genre knowledge and figured worlds

Negotiating Practice Contexts

• Multiple doctoral research cultures• Peripheral doctoral contexts

Authenticity in Digital Contexts

• “Privileged Insight”• Social, cultural and political dimensions

Some Findings_____________________________________________

Partiality in Digital Contexts

• Partially realised identities• Integrated with other doctoral practices• Dominant cultural practices

Ambiguity in Digital Contexts

• Interactive vs. broadcast metaphors• Imagined audiences

(R)ecognising technology practice as diverse and constitutive of personal identity, including identity in different peer, subject and workplace communities, and individual styles of participation.

Beetham et al. (2009:3)

“ “DigitalLiteracies

Be

eth

am

, H

., M

cGill

, L

., &

Litt

lejo

hn

, A

. (2

00

9).

Th

rivin

g in

th

e 2

1st

ce

ntu

ry:

Lite

raci

es

for

the

dig

ital a

ge

(L

LiD

A P

roje

ct).

Th

e C

ale

do

nia

n A

cad

em

y. J

ISC

.

Thanks

Andy Coverdale

Blog: http://www.phdblog.netTwitter: @andycoverdale