“To me, growing as a person is really important, and I think bookstagram is sort of giving me that opportunity” : A qualitative study of #bookstagram and community-building

Abstract: This thesis aims to contribute to the literature on community-building in online spaces, specifically the Instagram book blogger community, also known as bookstagram. I will look at how a shared interest in books, and posting about books online can unite people from around the world, creating a global community of book lovers. The data is collected using semi-structured interviews, both online and IRL (in real life), with members of the bookstagram community, of which I am a part. Since I am a member of this community, I have to be aware that my own experiences within the community have potential to influence my analysis, as well as how the interviewees respond to me, so Donna Haraway’s (1988) theory on situated knowledge will be utilised throughout. Through analysing the interviews, I hope to gain some insight into how bookstagram enables community formation, as well as the impact of geographical location on community formation on bookstagram.