Identity Construction in a Travel-related Virtual Community: A Case Study on a Guangzhou Couch-surfing Community

ABSTRACT

This research aims to explore the process, characteristics, and factors of constructing self- and group identity in the couch-surfing community and the similarities and differences between the mechanisms involved in young people’s identity construction, online and offline. As most members in the community are young people, this study was based on Grotevant’s conceptual model of adolescent identity construction. The research applied content analysis and interviews. It amends Grotevant’s model and found that the identity construction mechanism of young people in travel-related virtual and offline communities has similarities and differences, which enriched the current literature in travel-related virtual communities. Some practical implications were identified.

摘要

本研究旨在探索沙发客社区成员个人和群体身份认同建构的过程、特点和因素，以及青年人于在线和离线身份认同建构的异同。由于大多数社群成员为青年人，本研究基于Grote-vant 的青少年身份认同过程模型，采用内容分析法和访谈，并对Grotevant 的模型作出修正。研究发现，青年人在旅游相关的虚拟社区和离线社区的身份认同建构机制存在相似性和差异。

KEYWORDS:

• Travel-related virtual community
• couch-surfing
• group identity
• self-identity
• young people

关键词:

• 旅游相关的虚拟社区、
• 沙发客、
• 群体身份认同、
• 自我身份认同、
• 青年

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Qiuju Luo

Qiuju Luo is Professor and Deputy Dean in the School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Lingwen Huang

Lingwen Huang is a master student in the School of Tourism Management at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.