Theories of Social Media: Philosophical Foundations

Abstract Although many different views of social media coexist in the field of information systems (IS), such theories are usually not introduced in a consistent framework based on philosophical foundations. This paper introduces the dimensions of lifeworld and consideration of others. The concept of lifeworld includes Descartes’ rationality and Heidegger’s historicity, and consideration of others is based on instrumentalism and Heidegger’s “being-with.” These philosophical foundations elaborate a framework where different archetypal theories applied to social media may be compared: Goffman’s presentation of self, Bourdieu’s social capital, Sartre’s existential project, and Heidegger’s “shared-world.” While Goffman has become a frequent reference in social media, the three other references are innovative in IS research. The concepts of these four theories of social media are compared with empirical findings in IS literature. While some of these concepts match the empirical findings, some other concepts have not yet been investigated in the use of social media, suggesting future research directions.

[1]  Mark Carrigan,et al.  Social Media for Academics , 2016, Clinical Psychology Forum.

[2]  M. C. Jensen,et al.  Harvard Business School; SSRN; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI); Harvard University - Accounting & Control Unit , 1976 .

[3]  B. Latour.  Science in action : how to follow scientists and engineers through society , 1989 .

[4]  G. Burrell,et al.  Sociological Paradigms and Organisational Analysis: Elements of the Sociology of Corporate Life , 2017 .

[5]  Mayer N. Zald,et al.  Actors and Systems: The Politics of Collective Action. , 1980 .

[6]  J. Sartre,et al.  Being and Nothingness , 2022 .

[7]  Michael X Cohen,et al.  A Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice. , 1972 .

[8]  N. J. Cobb.  Adolescence: Continuity, Change, and Diversity , 1992 .

[9]  Youngjin Yoo,et al.  Computing in Everyday Life: A Call for Research on Experiential Computing , 2010, MIS Q..

[10]  A. Kellerman,et al.  The Constitution of Society : Outline of the Theory of Structuration , 2015 .

[11]  Susan Sprecher,et al.  Relationship Initiation and Formation on the Internet , 2009 .

[12]  S. Holloway,et al.  Cyberkids? Exploring Children’s Identities and Social Networks in On-line and Off-line Worlds , 2002 .

[13]  Paul M. Leonardi,et al.  Social Media, Knowledge Sharing, and Innovation: Toward a Theory of Communication Visibility , 2014, Inf. Syst. Res..

[14]  R. Boland.  Phenomenology: a preferred approach to research on information systems , 1986, Trends in Information Systems.

[15]  Wanda J. Orlikowski,et al.  Understanding Shifting Power Relations within and Across Organizations: A Critical Genre Analysis , 2008 .

[16]  Sonia Livingstone,et al.  Taking risky opportunities in youthful content creation: teenagers' use of social networking sites for intimacy, privacy and self-expression , 2008, New Media Soc..

[17]  P. Bourdieu.  Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste* , 2018, Food and Culture.

[18]  P. Adler,et al.  Social Capital: Prospects for a New Concept , 2002 .

[19]  E. Goffman.  The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life , 1959 .

[20]  Leighton Evans,et al.  Locative Social Media: Place in the Digital Age , 2015 .

[21]  L. Harrison,et al.  Building Realities Less Limited Than Their Own: Young People Practising Same-Sex Attraction on the Internet , 2007 .

[22]  Raz Schwartz,et al.  The spatial self: Location-based identity performance on social media , 2015, New Media Soc..

[23]  Albert Camus,et al.  The Myth of Sisyphus , 1942 .

[24]  Michael D. Myers,et al.  Dominant actors, political agendas, and strategic shifts over time: a critical ethnography of an enterprise systems implementation , 2004, J. Strateg. Inf. Syst..

[25]  D. Boyd.  Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life , 2007 .

[26]  K. Lyytinen,et al.  Exploring the intellectual structures of information systems development: A social action theoretic analysis , 1996 .

[27]  Laura E. Berk,et al.  Development Through the Lifespan , 1997 .

[28]  D. Frisby,et al.  Towards a Transformation of Philosophy , 2023 .

[29]  Pierre Bourdieu,et al.  Outline of a Theory of Practice , 2020, On Violence.

[30]  P. Bourdieu,et al.  实践与反思 : 反思社会学导引 = An invitation to reflexive sociology , 1994 .

[31]  J. March,et al.  A Behavioral Theory of the Firm , 1964 .

[32]  Kathryn Montgomery,et al.  Youth as e-citizens: engaging the digital generation , 1970 .

[33]  Kate O'Riordan,et al.  Virtually Belonging: Risk, Connectivity, and Coming Out On-Line , 2002 .

[34]  Henry Mintzberg,et al.  The structuring of organizations : a synthesis of the research , 1980 .

[35]  Richard J. Boland,et al.  Knowledge management technology and the reproduction of knowledge work practices , 2000, J. Strateg. Inf. Syst..

[36]  Judith Donath,et al.  Public Displays of Connection , 2004 .

[37]  Cliff Lampe,et al.  The Benefits of Facebook "Friends: " Social Capital and College Students' Use of Online Social Network Sites , 2007, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..