THEORIZING WEB 2.0

A theoretical framework, based on Bourdieu's theory of field and habitus, can be applied to theorizing Web 2.0 sites and re-conceives websites as structured spaces that interact with given dispositions, or modes of engagement, that make users' practice and participation meaningful.

Abstract

This article explores the conceptual problems surrounding popular definitions of Web 2.0 and proposes an alternative approach to understanding the cultural dimension of Web 2.0. Drawing parallels between the discursive and analytical challenges of Web 2.0 and online communities, this article suggests that a theoretical framework, based on Bourdieu's theory of field and habitus, can be applied to theorizing Web 2.0 sites. This framework re-conceives websites as structured spaces that interact with given dispositions, or modes of engagement, that make users' practice and participation meaningful. Applying this framework, an analysis of online communities and their evolution from 1998 to 2004 demonstrates a shift in community fields that suggests an increasing tendency towards personalist modes of engagement.