Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Democratic theorists from Jefferson through Tocqueville up into the present day have rightfully highlighted the importance of establishing direct connections between citizen and place, generating the attachments needed for a substantive form of citizenship that transcended self-interest. More and more, people are developing important secondary (and in some cases primary) social attachments through internet communities. This paper looks at the forms of socialization that occur in these communities. In particular it will focus on the way internet identities are simultaneously public and hidden, and the effects that this has on dialogue and communication. In particular it will focus on the effects of anonymity in breaking down some barriers and imposing new ones. It looks at the way the bonds of friendship (and the rivalries and hostilities) can lead to both a greater sense of national inclusivity and remain too self-contained to possess political implications. In particular this paper will focus on two case studies—the first an on-line gaming ccmmunity, the second a general interest message board.