Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2009 Blogging Out of Debt: An Observational Netnography Wendy Garland Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Education Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/2004 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. © Wendy A. Garland 2009 All Rights Reserved Blogging Out of Debt: An Observational Netnography by Wendy A. Garland Associate of Science General Studies, Northern Virginia Community College, 1997 Bachelor of Science Business Administration, Strayer University, 1999 Masters of Business Administration, Strayer University, 2004 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University Dissertation Chair: Michael D. Davis, Ph.D. Professor, School of Education Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia November 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT “Growth is the goal of life. Power, knowledge, freedom, enjoyment, creativity – these and all other immediate ends for which we strive are contributory to the one ultimate goal which is to grow, to become.” Eduard C. Lindeman, The Meaning of Adult Education First and foremost, I wish to thank my committee members for their commitment to this research project. My dissertation chair, Dr. Michael Davis, I thank for his encouragement and unwavering support. His belief and confidence in my abilities as a scholar have been truly overwhelming. Words cannot express my gratitude and thanks for his guidance, not only regarding this research, but also in life. My advisor and mentor, Dr. Terry Carter, I thank for her consistent pursuit of excellence and devotion to the field of Adult Learning. Her willingness to introduce me to the world of academia facilitated exponential growth over my time at VCU. She provided me opportunities to grow and develop as a person and as a scholar, and for that I am forever grateful. I also thank Dr. Joan Rhodes and Dr. Sherry Sandkam for their probing questions, insightful comments, and steadfast support. I am honored to have such outstanding faculty as my committee members. In addition, I must thank Dr. Bill Muth for his compassion and encouragement throughout my studies. Our conversations have been catalysts that have pushed me into new ways of thinking. He has taught me to appreciate art for the sake of art, philosophy for the sake of philosophy, and learning for the sake of learning. He facilitated my love for qualitative research and changed the way in which I view the world. ii I thank my parents, Kay and Hugh Cobb, and my parent-in-laws, Brenda and Carroll Garland, for their patience, understanding, and encouragement over this endeavor. I also wish to express gratitude to my aunt, Jackie Cramer, for being an example and the first to pave the way in our family in reaching her doctorate. And, most importantly, I thank my husband, Carl, for his patience, support, and love. To my daughters, Chloe and Cassie, I dedicate this work. Never settle for anything less than your dreams. “I love you infinity.” With the support and encouragement of everyone listed above, as well as many others that go unnamed, I am able to continually grow, to become. Thank you all. iii Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................. ii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTERS I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem.............................................................................4 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................5 Significance of the Study.............................................................................6 Research Background ..................................................................................7 Research Questions....................................................................................13 Assumptions Inherent in the Study............................................................13 Limitations of the Study.............................................................................14 Methodology..............................................................................................14 Summary....................................................................................................15 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ..........................................................................17 Introduction................................................................................................17 Adult Learning Theories............................................................................18 Constructivism ...........................................................................................23 Theoretical Framework..................................................................23 Applied Constructivist Research....................................................26 Communities of Practice............................................................................28 Types of Knowing..........................................................................32 Virtual Communities of Practice ...................................................36 Weblog Research .......................................................................................40 Research on Required Blogging ....................................................41 Research on Established Blogging.................................................44 Consumer Debt ..........................................................................................47 Definition of Terms....................................................................................53 III. DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY ...........................................................59 Introduction................................................................................................59 Methodology and Role...............................................................................59 Internet Research .......................................................................................61 Types of Internet-based Ethnographies .....................................................63 Participant Selection and Sample Population ............................................67 iv Data Collection Methods ...........................................................................70 Data Management and Analysis ................................................................70 Feasibility of Study....................................................................................71 Validity and Verification of Interpretation Issues .....................................72 Institutional Review Board ........................................................................73 Limitations .................................................................................................74 Summary....................................................................................................75 IV. THE EMERGENT PROCESS...................................................................76 Introduction................................................................................................76 Research Decisions ....................................................................................76 Summary....................................................................................................82 V. FINDINGS.................................................................................................83 Introduction................................................................................................83 The Bloggers..............................................................................................84 Blogging Away Debt .....................................................................84 Debt Hater......................................................................................85 Nine Circles of Debt ......................................................................85 Our Debt Blog................................................................................85 Penny Wise and Pound Foolish .....................................................86 Toxic Money..................................................................................86 The Debt Blogging Community ................................................................87 Distinguishes Levels of Participation ............................................89 Unifies and Commits Participants .................................................95 Removes Barriers...........................................................................96 Contributes to Personal Growth...................................................100