Membership has its benefits: Computer-mediated communication and social identification in an online discussion group for women in science and engineering

People who feel isolated or marginalized in face-to-face contexts may derive instrumental and psychological benefits from affiliation with online discussion groups. This is a case study of an online discussion group composed primarily of women in science and engineering. The benefits of affiliation were investigated through interviews with members and content analysis of e-mail messages. Because the discussion group was formed for networking women scientists and engineers, it provided an ideal site for exploring the benefits of online discussions for members of a social group who sometimes feel isolated or marginalized in face-to-face contexts.;This study explored the following research questions: (1) What are people's reasons for joining an online discussion that identifies a marginalized group? (2) What are the perceived benefits of participating in an online discussion for members of a marginalized group? (3) How does people's identification with an online discussion group relate to their public participation? (4) What is the nature of the postings to an online discussion that identifies a marginalized group?;The social identity approach provided the theoretical framework. This approach contends that people categorize themselves and others as social group members. Although this approach has mainly been used to analyze intergroup conflict, in this dissertation it is used to analyze people's desire for role models, camaraderie, and affiliation within an online discussion group.;Twenty-one interview transcriptions were analyzed for relationships between participation and social identification with the online discussion group. Four hundred and sixty-six e-mail messages were analyzed for patterns in discussion topics and participation. The findings indicated that the discussion group was a valuable resource that flexibly served the different social, psychological, and intellectual needs of its members. Through affiliation with the discussion group, women in traditionally male-dominated fields bolstered their self-confidence, expanded their social networks and knowledge bases, and constituted and validated positive social identities. The findings suggest that online discussions represent a valuable opportunity for social identification for people who feel isolated or marginalized in face-to-face social contexts. The most intriguing finding was that people perceive that they benefit greatly from affiliation with an online discussion group even when they do not publicly participate.