Space, power and knowledge : the regulatory fictions of online communities

Abstract

This paper extends Donna Haraway's notion of 'regulatory fictions' to young people's participation in online communities. I argue that online communities produce a range of discursive practices and expectations, which attempt to constitute young people in particular ways. By combining recent empirical work on young people's participation in online communities with the representation of Internet culture in young adult literature, this paper examines how participation, both real and represented, involves young people in a negotiation of complex networks of space, power, and knowledge. The discussion highlights how these networks are shaped by regulatory practices, protocols, and politics. The paper posits that new technologies are contributing to the emergence of a new social paradigm, one that offers young people possibilities for construction of multiple identities and social networks. The empirical work derives from a current Australian Research Council grant. The primary texts examined are 'Destroying Avalon' (2006) by Kate McCaffrey and 'ttyl' (2004) by Lauren Myracle.