This semester I'm taking a linguistics class called, You Are What You Say, focusing on how and what types of identity are expressed through discourse. Sounds a lot cooler than it is, but for the most part a good class.My most recent assignment was to analyze modes of communication as well as demonstrated identity in computer-mediated communication (CMC). I chose to analyze (big surprise) blogs! My vision for this paper was much more monumental than what actually became my final report, but hey! I just got it back today and got an A+! I didn't know they actually gave those in college. Anyway, my analysis was a comparison between (another big surprise) my blog Gum & Carrots and my friend Hannah's blog, Autobiography of Blue (my life with fibromyalgia). I initially wanted to analyze several blogs, but as it turned out, I only got around to looking at two. So if you're interested at all, here's my paper. (Sorry about the smallness of the figures, but it was the only way I could make them fit.)Data Analysis Report 2 – Blogs
In the last 15 years or so, the act of communicating with one another has quickly and drastically evolved into many new forms aided by the creation and popularization of the personal computer and more importantly the Internet. Presently, a business person can go to work, work on his/her computer all day, contacting people, setting dates or appointments, getting everything done, going home and never having to open his/her mouth once. This is all accomplished with computer-mediated communications (CMCs). Since CMCs are acting to replace face-to-face communication, many characteristics of face-to-face communication have bled over to CMCs, creating a sort of talking-writing hybrid. Within the category of CMCs are blogs, journal-style websites that are usually made by businesses, a group of people with a common interest or even an individual person. This is an interesting example to analyze because of its informal style. By looking at three variables - the use of the first person pronoun, contractions and addition of pictures - in two different blogs it is clear that although blog writing appears formal in its nature it more closely resembles face-to-face communication and also provides an interesting look into expressed identity.
Analysis of Blog Features For this study I analyzed five posts each from two different blogs (ten total posts), both created and run by an individual person. A woman named Hannahb runs the first blog. Hers is a daily blog documenting her daily life living with fibromyalgia (a chronic disease characterized by persistent pain and fatigue, among other things). HBop runs the other, also a daily blog, but her posts present information on daily findings on the Internet or interesting daily experiences. In both blogs there is nearly a new post everyday, each new post is added above the previous one in chronological order and allow reader comments. These two blogs were chosen to compare based on their similarities. However, each has very different topics as well as writing styles. Therefore, the features that are studied focus on presentation of information: the use of the first person pronoun, use of contractions and how pictures are incorporated into posts.
According to Chafe and Danielewicz (1987) the use of the first person pronoun occurs most commonly in letters and conversations, occasionally in lectures and rarely in academic papers. This is due to the increasing formality in each mode of conversation. Being that blogs have a formal appearance (typed document, spelling and grammar are checked, accessible to anyone with an Internet connection, etc.) it would be assumed that the format would be similar to lectures or academic papers. However, figure 1 shows the results found in each blog for usage of the first person pronoun.
Interestingly each blogger had a very high usage of the first person pronoun, much higher than what is usually present in lectures or academic papers. This statistic appears more similar to that found in conversations or letters, which creates the assumption that less formality is required in the blogging atmosphere and a casual approach is more desirable. This high usage also resembles that of a journal or dairy, focusing on personal experiences or thoughts. However, it is also interesting to note that while Hannahb’s blog focuses on her daily life, which would assume a high usage of first person pronoun, HBop’s blog does not focus on her life but uses the first person pronoun over 1% more of the time. (This will be discussed more in the identity section of this paper.)
The second characteristic that was focused on was the usage of contractions, such as I’m or haven’t. In Chafe and Danielewicz’s study, they found that contractions were used most in spoken communication and rarely to not at all in written. The result from looking at these blogs, however, shows a counterintuitive result. Figure 2 shows what was found.
From this result, it shows that no only does blogging aspire for an informal feel, but also highly resembles spoken communication.
The third feature studied was the usage of pictures in posts, not a feature used by Chafe and Danielewicz, but an interesting element present in blogs. Many blogs exist that do not use pictures at all and solely rely on writing to communicate the desired information. However, since both of these blogs made use of pictures to aid in their posts it was considered a valuable aspect to study.
In both cases, pictures that had some relevance to the topic being discussed were incorporated into the text of the post. For example in Hannahb’s blog, she writes,
“With the daily pain, exhaustion, and myriad other distressing, often inexplicable symptoms I experience with FM, dysautonomia, etc, it is easy at times to become disheartened and bitter (not sweet or salty, but occasionally sour).”
She then follows this passage with the following picture:
HBop’s blog used a total of 4 pictures in the 5 chosen posts (one post did not have a picture) while Hannahb’s blog used a total of 23 pictures. Because of the high occurrence of pictures in Hannahb’s blog it seems to convey information to the reader more clearly and accurately, a benefit that does not hold true as successfully when reading HBop’s blog.
Analysis of Constructed Identity Within each blog, very different types of identity are expressed. By first simply looking at what each blog tends to focus on, strong theories on the bloggers’ identities can be made. Starting with HBop’s blog, it is quickly noticeable that only on rare occasion does she write a post centering on a personal issue. Instead, light-hearted topics are addressed such as the superiority of tea, techniques for eating edamame or even simply “random things” (as in the third sample from her blog). Nothing personal is ever explicitly discussed, while conversely in Hannahb’s blog, that is the main topic: personal issues. Her daily struggles with fibromayalgia is openly talked about as in the following excerpt:
“Sometimes I forget what it’s like to feel excited about something, to feel hopeful, to lose myself while focusing on something enjoyable, especially as many of the activities I used to find delight in are now difficult or impossible.”
An interesting aspect that arises from such personal expression is how extremely one-sided the constructed identity is here, compared with that in face-to-face communication. Of course readers can leave comments, but it is assumed that these comments will focus on the topic Hannahb brings up. The control of the floor will never switch to the other interlocutors such as it does in face-to-face communication. It can then be concluded that Hannahb’s life is very focused on the issues of her personal disease.
As was brought up earlier, the usage of the first person pronoun was used more often in HBop’s blog, even though the focus of her blog is not on her personal life. This can be associated with the slightly less formal writing in HBop’s blog. The writing in hers is simpler, less developed, which can then be related to age of the blogger. The feeling one gets from reading HBop’s blog is younger and less professional.
Conclusion From this study, blogs have been shown to be much different from other CMCs, considering their formal appearance but actual informal style as well as conversation-like qualities. Although blogs are published, publicly accessible documents, they lack consistent parallel characteristics with the two forms of writing communications presented by Chafe and Danielewicz: letters and academic papers. Conversation was the only form of communication that closely matched blog style. Since both of the blogs that were analyzed are by individual young women, it was assumed they would have more similarities. But, as has been shown, by simply looking at three different features, completely different conclusions on expressed identity can be made about each one.
