Hashtagging for Inclusion: Complex Identities in Singaporean Gay Men's Social Representation on Instagram

被引:1
作者
Zhang, Langcheng [1 ]
Tandoc, Edson C. [1 ]
机构
[1] Nanyang Technol Univ, Nanyang, Singapore
来源
SOCIAL MEDIA + SOCIETY | 2024年 / 10卷 / 03期
关键词
hashtag; identity; gay; social representation; digital inclusion; Instagram; MEDIA ACTIVISM; POLITICS; NUMBER; SELF;
D O I
10.1177/20563051241269299
中图分类号
G2 [信息与知识传播];
学科分类号
05 ; 0503 ;
摘要
Beyond indexing content and creating networks, hashtags can also convey social meanings. From the perspective of social representation, this article investigates how gay men in Singapore use various hashtags to represent their complex identities and create a shared meaning of being gay in Singapore. Through a textual analysis of identity-related posts generated by gay Instagram users in Singapore, we identified two patterns of using gay-related hashtags: habitual and contextual. Both patterns rely on and demonstrate the identity complexity of gay users. The patterns suggest the users' identity management online while engendering different forms of social representation for Singaporean gay men. By using non-gay hashtags and juxtaposing them with gay ones, the users could disseminate outreach information, establish social connections, and improve the digital inclusion of their group. We also found unusual exclusions of gay hashtags, suggesting the potential conflict between gayness and some traditional values/roles in Singapore.
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页数:12
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