An arson spree in college town: community enhancement through media convergence

Abstract

Fears of media and technology undermining ‘community’ have persisted for half a century. It is believed that, in the digital age, place-based collectivities of people become isolated and individualized through media and technology, replacing ‘place-based’ communities with placeless ‘communities of interest’. While this greater trend may well exist, it is hardly uniform. This research examines how sufficiently flexible technologies and media can do the exact opposite: reinforce neighborhood ties and affirm a sense of community, particularly in times of crisis. A singular event, an arson spree, can create a bevy of bounded information for analysis. What unfolds is an image of a community enhanced by social media, providing a new perspective for both areas of research. Rather than using broad survey data, this study examines community through the prism of these fires to reinforce findings on community connection and identity and offers new suggestions for research.