Changing the Environment Comes to Changing the Way of Communication: Differences in Usage of Social Networks in Japan and the Czech Republic

(English) Master thesis is focused on the influence of cultural environment on the user approach to social sites. First chapter of the theoretical part is oriented on the evolution of the human behaviour in the role of an active creator of the content in the hypertext. Next chapter examine the roots of the social networks' usage diversification in Japanese sociocultural environment. Special focus is given on the divergence of the social networks' usage comparing to the global standard. Also, the thesis is trying to reveal possible reasons of the Japanese usage specifics via exploring the historical evolution of the publishing of the users' content in Japan from the first blogs to the most popular social networks worldwide. These platforms are then analysed with emphasis put on description of the Japanese user specifics. In the practical part of the thesis we are trying to support the hypothesis that change of the cultural environment for the long time period (a year of longer) will lead to the change of the usage customs. Following study is concentrated on this question in order to answer it using half-structured interviews with the Japanese respondents who lived/is living in the Czech Republic for the time period longer/equal to one year. The results will be compared with the results from the same...(česky) Diplomová práce zkoumá vliv kulturního prostředí na způsob, jakým uživatel přistupuje k sociálním sítím. První kapitola teoretické části se zabývá vývojem člověka v roli aktivního tvůrce obsahu v hypertextovém prostředí. Další kapitola zkoumá kořeny diverzifikace užívání sociálních sítí v japonském sociokulturním prostředí a výchylky oblíbenosti konkrétních sociálních sítí oproti světovému standardu. Dále se práce snaží odhalit možné důvody japonských uživatelských specifik prostřednictvím zmapování historického vývoje zveřejňování uživatelského online obsahu v Japonsku od prvních blogů až po nástup světově nejpopulárnějších online sociálních sítí. Tyto platformy jsou poté analyzovány s důrazem na deskripci specifik japonského uživatele. V praktické části se práce snaží zodpovědět, zda změna kulturního prostředí na delší časový úsek (na rok nebo delší) povede ke změně těchto uživatelských zvyklostí. S touto otázkou bude pracovat výzkum realizovaný pomocí polostrukturovaných rozhovorů s japonskými respondenty, kteří žili/žijí v České republice déle než jeden rok. Jako komparativní prvek poslouží polostrukturované rozhovory (doplněné stejnou analýzou) s českými respondenty, kteří v Japonsku strávili minimálně obdobný časový úsek. Výstupem této práce bude úvod do problematiky kulturní...Ústav informačních studií - studia nových médiíInstitute of Information Studies and Librarianship - New Media StudiesFilozofická fakultaFaculty of Art

An Investigation of the Social Network System Competencies of High School Students in Japan

We investigated the Social Network System (SNS) competencies of high school students in Japan. Student groups (from cities or regional areas) and the opinions of their teachers were compared. Twenty-five UNESCO criteria in three competency categories were selected. By two-way analysis of variance and paired-comparisons, we detected a significant difference in the opinions of students and teachers. Although the magnitude of the difference was small, by Dunnett’s multiple comparisons, the city and regional groups also differed from each other. Performance criteria items of risk awareness were valued the highest and most important in all groups; whereas technical skills and socio-cultural skills were reported as less proficient and less important by all groups. Classification of SNS-type was used, and the data of SNS sites with which the students were familiar and the mean values of related performance criteria items were applied to view the situation of students. By this approach, we confirmed that students are savvy in navigating socializing SNSs. Based on our findings, we propose important learning and societal-public activities relevant to SNSs

An Investigation of the Social Network System Competencies of High School Students in Japan

We investigated the Social Network System (SNS) competencies of high school students in Japan. Student groups (from cities or regional areas) and the opinions of their teachers were compared. Twenty-five UNESCO criteria in three competency categories were selected. By two-way analysis of variance and paired-comparisons, we detected a significant difference in the opinions of students and teachers. Although the magnitude of the difference was small, by Dunnett’s multiple comparisons, the city and regional groups also differed from each other. Performance criteria items of risk awareness were valued the highest and most important in all groups; whereas technical skills and socio-cultural skills were reported as less proficient and less important by all groups. Classification of SNS-type was used, and the data of SNS sites with which the students were familiar and the mean values of related performance criteria items were applied to view the situation of students. By this approach, we confirmed that students are savvy in navigating socializing SNSs. Based on our findings, we propose important learning and societal-public activities relevant to SNSs