Project Description
They will look at existing research and literature about the emergence of digital "third places" in response to the decline of physical public, social spaces. Third Places or Spaces are neutral grounds that are neither, home (first place), nor school or work (second place) and provide opportunities for unstructured connections and play. Especially during and after the 2008 recession, shopping malls, which had been a stable third place for a a generation, began to close, yielding commercial activity to online sites. What they understands already is that while the commercial functions of the mall moved to ecommerce platforms, the social aspects that were inherent in Mall Culture subsequently migrated online. They will analyze and synthesize the literature through primarily qualitative methods, telling the story of how a generation came to inhabit social communities in virtual spaces.
Tasks and Responsibilites
Meet weekly with Robert (DAC Graduate TA) and me. Over the course of the semester, collect relevant sources about how the 2008 recession altering consumerism, along with the rise an popularity of social media platforms in the same area and produce a literature review. Explore and learn digital tools such as Timeline JS for creating timelines. Analyze and synthesize these sources to visualize a timeline and coherent narrative of the factors and events in the changeover from physical to virtual socialization spheres.
Desired Qualifications
None Listed.