Ethnic Museum Websites, Cultural Projection, and Self-Categorization Concepts

Abstract

This qualitative research features in-depth interviews along with observations of respondents' navigation of African American and Latino museum websites. Respondents self-identified as of African American, Latino, or White cultural heritage and ranged in age from the late teens to over 50. Interviewees noted the organizations' projection of their cultures to non-group members as well as to racial or ethnic group members. Respondents who interacted with the ethnic digital media also demonstrated the application of the self-categorization process, including the concepts of prototypes, norms, accessibility and fit. The authors provide suggestions for expanding dimensions of these concepts beyond the dichotomous measures typically found in the self-categorization literature. In addition, concepts from self-categorization and cultural projection theories are integrated and their usefulness to digital communication scholars is explicated. Besides these contributions to communication methodology and theory, the study also suggests practical considerations for ethnic organization website producers.

KEYTERMS:

• Cultural projection
• digital
• ethnic
• race
• self-categorization
• visual

Notes

¹Using some of the categories exempted under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code for 501(c) (3) organizations, ethnic organizations could include charitable, educational, literary, religious, or scientific organizations; civic leagues and social welfare organizations engaging in social action; labor unions and agricultural organizations; social and recreation clubs, and chambers of commerce or trade associations (Cortés, 1998; Hung, 2007).

²Because of space limits the self-administered questionnaire, the protocol, and the in-depth interview questions are not included here. Contact Melissa A. Johnson for the documents.