dc.contributor.author | Goertzen, Melissa | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2012-08-24T13:52:42Z | |
dc.date.available | 2012-08-24T13:52:42Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2012-08-24 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10222/15350 | |
dc.description.abstract | Social media usage trends within the homeless community are not well documented. To
date, few studies have examined how the poor navigate and/or build relationships in
online environments, and whether these activities provide opportunities for integration
into mainstream society. This study aims to fill the existing research gap by observing the
usage trends of the website Homeless Nation. The objective of this study was to examine
if the site aids in the development of a) digital literacy skills, b) information seeking
behaviours and/or c) relationships in online communities. The data show that the site
promotes relationships between the homeless community and mainstream society as well
as inclusive discussions about poverty that are extrospective in nature. These findings
contribute to the discussion of the digital divide, and provide insight into how social
media initiatives can prevent the further solidification of social roles that segregate
marginalized communities from mainstream society. | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.title | Homeless Bound: A Search for Digital Literacy within the Realm of Social Media | en_US |
dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
dc.date.defence | 2012-07-18 | |
dc.contributor.department | School of Library & Information Studies | en_US |
dc.contributor.degree | Master of Library and information Studies | en_US |
dc.contributor.external-examiner | Dr. Julia Hersberger | en_US |
dc.contributor.graduate-coordinator | JoAnn Watson | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-reader | Dr. Vivian Howard; Dr. DeNel Rehberg Sedo | en_US |
dc.contributor.thesis-supervisor | Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd | en_US |
dc.contributor.ethics-approval | Not Applicable | en_US |
dc.contributor.manuscripts | Not Applicable | en_US |
dc.contributor.copyright-release | Not Applicable | en_US |