Examining the presentation of self in popular blogs: a cultural perspective

Abstract

This study aims to compare impression management tactics and self-presentation in popular blogs in Taiwan and the United States. It is suggested that cultural factors such as the way that popular bloggers relate to others may contribute to how they present themselves and their social relations in blogs. To examine blogs as a new platform for studying cross-cultural communication, this paper first focuses on general descriptive elements of popular blogs and centers on elements of content of Taiwanese and American blogs. Second, this study compares the differences among impression management tactics in these blogs. Building on Goffman's (1959) constructs of self-presentation and operationalizing impression management strategies, this study content-analyzes the most popular blogs created by Taiwanese bloggers and American bloggers. Differences in the two independent variables mostly confirm our hypotheses. Findings showed that Taiwanese bloggers paid closer attention to their social relations, but refrained from revealing personal details; they also used more self-promotion strategies by showcasing their intellectuality. American bloggers, on the other hand, tended to dwell less on their relations, but were more open about themselves. Both findings are in line with the characteristics of the bloggers' cultural backgrounds: either relation-oriented or individualistic.