• norsk
    • English
  • English 
    • norsk
    • English
  • Login
View Item 
  •   Home
  • Øvrige samlinger
  • Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NTNU
  • View Item
  •   Home
  • Øvrige samlinger
  • Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NTNU
  • View Item
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

Digital absolution: Confessional interaction in an online weight loss forum

Grønning, Ingeborg Mikalsen; Tjora, Aksel
Journal article, Peer reviewed
Accepted version
Thumbnail
View/Open
Tjora.pdf (236.6Kb)
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2589640
Date
2018
Metadata
Show full item record
Collections
  • Institutt for sosiologi og statsvitenskap [2644]
  • Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NTNU [34929]
Original version
Convergence. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies. 2018, 24 (4), 391-406.   10.1177/1354856516678558
Abstract
Based on online observation of communication in a web-based weight loss forum, this article identifies the relevance of confession and absolution as characteristics of online interactions. Our close study of forum messages, arranged as web diaries open to comments from participants, shows that self-blaming posts elicited absolutional replies. With a primary interest in those personal posts which had a confessional character, we identified three aspects of absolution in replies: collective, prospective and supportive. Of special sociological interest is how online interaction in the forum challenges the concept of ‘civil inattention’ (Goffman, 1971) as a basic social norm for interaction in public spaces. Rather, absolutional attention defines the interactional order within the forum, in which diary authors receive feedback on their accounts of challenges, problems and failures. Studying online communication in detail may contribute to an important theoretical refinement of interactionist sociology, which currently strongly rests on studies from pre-Internet times.
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Journal
Convergence. The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies

Contact Us | Send Feedback

Privacy policy
DSpace software copyright © 2002-2019  DuraSpace

Service from  Unit
 

 

Browse

ArchiveCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDocument TypesJournalsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDocument TypesJournals

My Account

Login

Statistics

View Usage Statistics

Contact Us | Send Feedback

Privacy policy
DSpace software copyright © 2002-2019  DuraSpace

Service from  Unit