Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

#Topless Tuesdays and #Wet Wednesdays: Digitally Mediated Neo-Tribalism and NSFW Selfies on Tumblr

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Neo-Tribes

Abstract

This chapter explores neo-tribal theory as a way of making sense of the sociality practised by young people who share nude ‘Not Safe For Work’ (NSFW) selfies on the social media platform tumblr. Social interaction on Tumblr is far more fluid than that which occurs in online forums. There are a milieu of online groups and cultural events that occur in Tumblr on a regular basis, and young people seamlessly move between these as they form, coalesce, and disperse. Observing patterns of interaction which resemble ‘online community’ is therefore problematic. Tumblr users often describe shared sentiments or experiences of belonging that is marked by ritualistic and temporal behaviour. This chapter joins recent work in appropriating the concept of the neo-tribe in contemporary youth culture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Sexual or erotic activity involving urination

References

  • Baym, N. (1998). The Emergence of Online Community. In S. G. Jones (Ed.), Cybersociety 2.0: Revisiting Computer-Mediated Communication and Community (pp. 35–68). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, A. (1999). Subcultures or Neo-Tribes? Rethinking the Relationship Between Youth, Style, and Musical Taste. Sociology, 33(3), 599–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, A., & Kahn-Harris, K. (Eds.). (2004). After Subculture: Critical Studies in Contemporary Youth Culture. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bishai, S. (2012). Blog Like an Egyptian. In J. Salmons (Ed.), Cases in Online Interview Research (pp. 37–56). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, D. (2013). Social Media and Personal Relationships: Online Intimacies and Networked Friendship. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cova, B., & Cova, V. (2002). Tribal Marketing: The Tribalisation of Society and Its Impact on the Conduct of Marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 36(5–6), 595–620.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crofts, T., Lee, M., McGovern, A., & Milivojenic, S. (2015). Sexting and Young People. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Cummings, J. (2006). It’s More Than a T-shirt: Neo-Tribal Sociality and Linking Images at Australian Indie Music Festivals. Perfect Beat, 8(1), 65–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Laine, M. (2000). Fieldwork, Participation and Practice. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deegan, A. (2012). Stranger in a Strange Land: The Challenges and Benefits of Online Interviews in the Social Networking Space. In J. Salmons (Ed.), Cases in Online Interview Research (pp. 69–90). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Goulding, C., & Shankar, A. (2011). Club Culture, Neotribalism and Ritualised Behaviour. Annals of Tourism Research, 38(4), 1435–1453.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hardy, A., & Robards, B. (2015). The Ties that Bind: Exploring Neo-Tribal Theory’s Relevance to Tourism. Tourism Analysis, 20(4), 443–454.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hardy, A., Gretzel, U., & Hanson, D. (2013). Travelling Neo-Tribes: Conceptualising Recreational Vehicle Users. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 11(3), 48–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hart, M. (2015). Youth Intimacy on Tumblr: A Pilot Study. Young, 23(3), 193–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hart, M. (2016). Being Naked on the Internet: Young People’s Selfies as Intimate Edgework. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(3), 301–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hester, H., Jones, B., & Taylor-Harman, S. (2015). Giffing a Fuck: Non-narrative Pleasures in Participatory Porn Cultures and Female Fandom. Porn Studies, 2(4), 356–366.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hine, C. (2013). The Internet: Understanding Qualitative Research. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liamputtong, P. (2007). Researching the Vulnerable. London: Sage.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Luckman, S. (2003). Going Bush and Finding One’s ‘Tribe’: Raving, Escape and the Bush Doof. Continuum: A Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 17(3), 318–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyng, S. (1990). Edgework: A Social Psychological Analysis of Voluntary Risk Taking. American Journal of Sociology, 95(4), 851–886.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maffesoli, M. (1996). The Time of the Tribes: The Decline of Individualism in Mass Society. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melrose, M. (2002). Labour Pains: Some Considerations on the Difficulties of Researching Juvenile Prostitution. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 5(4), 333–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miltner, K. (2014). Studying Selfies: Evidence, Affect, Ethics, and the Internet’s Visual Turn. Social Media Collective. https://socialmediacollective.org/2014/04/15/call-for-papers-studying-selfies-evidence-affect-ethics-and-the-internets-visual-turn/. Accessed 16 Apr 2014.

  • Muise, A. (2011). Women’s Sex Blogs: Challenging Dominant Discourses of Heterosexual Desire. Feminism & Psychology, 21(3), 411–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Opdenakker, R. (2006). Advantages and Disadvantages of Four Interview Techniques in Qualitative Research. Forum: Qualitative Sozialforschung, 7(4), Art. 11. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0604118.

  • Parks, M. (2011). Social Network Sites as Virtual Communities. In Z. Papacharissi (Ed.), A Networked Self: Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Network Sites (pp. 105–123). New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renninger, B. J. (2014). ‘Where I Can Be Myself, Where I Can Speak My Mind’: Networked Counterpublics in a Polymedia Environment. New Media & Society, 17(9), 1513–1529.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, I., Third, A., & MacColl, I. (2007, September 19–21). DIMEA ’07: Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Digital Interactive Media in Entertainment and Arts, Perth, Australia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robards, B., & Bennett, A. (2011). MyTribe: Postsubcultural Manifestations of Belonging on Social Network Sites. Sociology, 45(2), 303–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, S. (2004). Researching Shyness: A Contradiction in Terms? Qualitative Inquiry, 4(1), 91–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shields, R. (1992). Lifestyle Shopping: The Subject of Consumption. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Stanojević, D. (2007). From Subculture to Scene and Tribe: Post-Birmingham Approaches to the Relationship Between Youth, Music and Style. Sociologija, 43(3), 264–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sweetman, P. (2004). Tourists and Travellers?: Subcultures, Reflexive Identities, and Neo-Tribal Sociality. In A. Bennett & K. Kahn-Harris (Eds.), After Subculture: Critical Studies in Contemporary Youth Culture (pp. 79–93). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Tiidenberg, K. (2016). Boundaries and Conflict in a NSFW Community on Tumblr: The Meanings and Uses of Selfies. New Media and Society, 18(8), 1563–1578.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tiidenberg, K. (2014). Bringing Sexy Back: Reclaiming the Body Aesthetic Via Self-Shooting. Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychological Research on Cyberspace, 8(1). https://cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/4295/3342.

  • Tiidenberg, K., & Cruz, E. G. (2015). Selfies, Image, and the Re-making of the Body. Body & Society, 21(4), 77–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tranter, B. (2011). Sampling. In M. Walter (Ed.), Social Research Methods (pp. 123–148). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Travers, M. (2011). Qualitative Interviewing Methods. In M. Walter (Ed.), Social Research Methods (pp. 287–322). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wellings, K., Branigan, P., & Mitchell, K. (2000). Discomfort, Discord, and Discontinuity as Data: Using Focus Groups to Research Sensitive Topics. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 2(3), 255–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leicester, School of Media, Communication and Sociology, London, UK

    Matt Hart

Authors
  1. Matt Hart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia

    Anne Hardy

  2. School of Humanities, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

    Andy Bennett

  3. School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Brady Robards

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hart, M. (2018). #Topless Tuesdays and #Wet Wednesdays: Digitally Mediated Neo-Tribalism and NSFW Selfies on Tumblr. In: Hardy, A., Bennett, A., Robards, B. (eds) Neo-Tribes. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68207-5_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation