Christianity and digital culture analysis of users' experiences of the christian social networking site in Taiwan - Walei

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have been a popular phenomenon worldwide, while religion in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) studies has gained more academic attention. Walei as a pioneering social networking site is founded by a group of Protestant Christians targeting at the youth in Taiwan, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lee, Chia-Ying
Other Authors: Humanistinen tiedekunta, Faculty of Humanities, Taiteiden ja kulttuurin tutkimuksen laitos, Department of Art and Cultural Studies, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Format: Master's thesis
Language:eng
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Online Access: https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/26950
Description
Summary:Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have been a popular phenomenon worldwide, while religion in Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) studies has gained more academic attention. Walei as a pioneering social networking site is founded by a group of Protestant Christians targeting at the youth in Taiwan, and it exemplifies religious application on the Internet. This thesis investigates what role such a website plays both for its users and against its competition, particularly in the non-Christian cultural context. Using online interviews with nine users of Walei, how the interactivity affects Christian users‟ religious identity and the impression of non-Christian users toward Christianity is explored. This thesis seeks to shed the light on the interrelation of technology and religion, and the possible influence on identity formation online.