아랍 걸프지역 여성 인플루언서의 소셜미디어 활동사례로 본 온라인 참여문화와 사회문화적 함의 연구

A Study on Online Participation Culture and its Socio-Cultural Implications through a Case of Social Media Activity of the Arab Gulf Female Influencers

This study analyzes the online participatory culture in the Arab Gulf region and its socio-cultural implications through a case study on the social media activity of female influencers and predicts the direction of social change. Due to the popularity of social media among young people, several individual endorsers, called “influencers,” have emerged from this region who influence audiences in the online space. Influencers are socio-cultural beings, and the online space is not value-neutral, but rather reflects societal values. Therefore, research on influencers is useful in capturing an aspect of social change. Social media has created a “virtual public feminized space” in the conservative Arab Gulf society, laying down an appropriate environment for female influencers to grow. The results show three socio-cultural implications of female influencers’ activities in the Arab Gulf society: first, women’s online activities are becoming more visible, and the influencers’ influence over their followers is growing. Second, socio-cultural taboos are loosening as the boundaries between the public and private spheres blur. Finally, social media has provided a new platform for female influencers to exercise their power in support of the women’s movement. For this study, a qualitative research method was employed to analyze the content of mega-influencers from the Arab Gulf region with more than 1 million followers.