‘Bowling Alone or Blogging Together’ How the Neighbourhood Facebook is Reshaping Community Participation

Joseph, Matthew

Abstract

'Bowling Alone or Blogging Together' is an empirical account of community, based in geographic reality but played out in the social media realm of neighbourhood Facebook groups. It is an account of how, in the face of decline of traditional forms of association, participation and community-building, people construct new avenues for engagement and participation. Furthermore, this study reveals how this community on the North East Coast of England has utilised social media to rebuild bonds of kinship and reciprocity where they have been eroded by forces of modernity and globalisation and where they have forged new virtual places of association and congregation in the face of disappearing amenities and services. Through several month’s first hand empirical online ethnography and participant interviews the research establishes a number of key trends that document a disenfranchised community utilising the Facebook Groups Platform to find a voice and construct a space for meaningful participation, building and nurturing social bonds and blurring the boundaries of space and place as they do so. This research will be of importance for anyone working in the field of community participation whether in the Public or Voluntary Sectors or anyone with an interest in the impact of current and future technologies on the community building process.

Citation

Joseph, M. (2025). ‘Bowling Alone or Blogging Together’ How the Neighbourhood Facebook is Reshaping Community Participation. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/5126363

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Apr 7, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 15, 2025
• Keywords: Sociology
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/5126363
• Additional Information: School of Criminology, Sociology and Policing; Faculty of Arts, Cultures and Education; University of Hull
• Award Date: Mar 31, 2025