engaging Complexityresearching social media as cultural heritage in the Continuum

:

Synopsis

Continuum Theory

Pluralist methodology

�rounded

heory:

H u m a n /

i n s t i t u t i o n

i n t e r a c t i o n

iscourse

analysis:

Based on

emergent

literature

�ontent

analysis:

Mode of

observation

�ase

studies:

YouTube,

You-sers &

Domain experts

�eflecti�e

practice:

I n t e r p r e t

a c t i o n s o f

s e l f

Case studies1. YouTube user-creators (You-sers)

= storytellers of culture Research problems

How can recorded online,

cultural information in

social media be

understood as evidence of

culture?

How is YouTube

communicated as a

significant cultural

practice?

Continuum theory shows

that there are multiple

ways of generating and

understanding meaning,

particularly in relation to

the recursive relationship

between action and

structure.

Leisa Gibbons, Centre for Organisational and Social Informatics, Monash University

Supervisors: Professor Sue McKemmish, Dr. Frank Upward & Dr. Joanne Evans

A Continuum understanding of social media will

contribute knowledge about containers of online

cultural memory and understandings of how small

stories form part of the narrative of self and memory.

This research will also provide insights into how

individuals define themselves through use of

technology, as well as through particular storytelling

mediums.

The lessons for Archival Science will feed into the

development of frameworks to create, capture,

organise and pluralise evidence of culture.

The future

Continuum theory related to cultural heritage

focuses on the transformation from small story to

metanarrative that takes place over time and space

via the increasing influence of community

interaction, repetition and power. The viewpoint of

the model is one of recorded culture and the

formation of traditions and systems of heritage.

Content analysis

was used to

determine how to

choose the You-sers

(units of analysis)

by gaining an

understanding of

the different types

of videos.

Domain experts come from

various disciplines, such as

cultural and media studies,

anthropology and information

science. Data has been

collected via semi-structured

interviews and will be analysed

using Grounded Theory

techniques.

Emergent literature

The term ‘emergent

literature’ is used to

describe the ‘coming into

existence’ of a discourse.

Emergent literature can

be found in various

formats, such as

academic papers and

conferences, as well as

blogs, videos and

webinars. Data sampled

from these sources will be

analysed using discourse

analysis techniques.

ReferencesGibbons, L. (2009). Testing the Continuum: user-generated cultural heritage

on Youtube. Archives & Manuscripts. 37 (2). pp. 89-112

*Lock, A., & Strong, T. (2010). Social Constructionism : Sources and Stirrings in

Theory and Practice. Cambridge University Press.

Upward, F. (2005). Continuum mechanics and memory banks [Series of parts]:

Part 1: Multi-polarity. Archives and Manuscripts, 33(1), 84-109.

Upward, F. (2005). Continuum mechanics and memory banks [Series of two

parts] Part 2: The making of culture. Archives and Manuscripts, 33(2), 18-51.

What tools are required to

develop a research project

based on continuum

principals?

How and why do

YouTube users/creators

do what they do?

In an ever changing digital world there is a growing realisation that many small

things can make up the larger social and cultural whole.

Social media allows almost anyone to create and share content online. Individuals who contribute

their small stories directly participate in online culture, providing content for an exponentially

expanding collection of data, information and knowledge. Traditional forms of moving image, such

as film and TV, have influenced the formats, content and look of how small stories are being told,

particularly on Youtube. Formats and styles from social media have in turn, influenced traditional

mass media genres and content.

As a continuum theorist, I question how these small stories might fit into the world of cultural

heritage? In what contexts can these stories be understood? I wonder if there is some way to

understand cultural heritage as it is being made? Rather than look at how archivists deal with

social media from within established institutional practices, I want to investigate YouTube from a

continuum perspective to develop an understanding of the ‘archive’ and the ‘record’.

2. Domain experts

= signifiers of culture

You-sers were selected from the

Australian Youtube website.

Data was collected via semi-

structured interviews and were

interviewed and was analysed

using Grounded Theory

techniques.

How can recorded online,

cultural information in

social media be

understood using

continuum principles?