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Negotiating diasporic identities: Iranian influencers and their audiences on Instagram
Jönköping University, School of Education and Communication, HLK, Media and Communication Studies.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

This thesis critically analyses how Iranian diasporic influencers on Instagram construct their diasporic identities and experiences, and how their audiences engage with them in comments. To examine such dynamics, a qualitative multimethod approach was employed, including critical visual analysis of influencers’ posts and qualitative text analysis of comments. The data, drawn from selected Farsi-speaking female influencers based in Europe, includes 36 Instagram posts and 1080 comments. The findings identified key patterns in how diasporic identity is shaped and negotiated by influencers and their audiences. Influencers engage with themes such as belonging, cultural adaptation, and identity transformation, while simultaneously navigating audience expectations and the emotional complexities of diasporic life. Comments reflect broader social dynamics, such as perceptions of authenticity and cultural judgment. While influencers often present empowering narratives of success and re-rooting, they also encounter challenges like accusations of dishonesty and xenophobia. These interactions highlight the double-edged nature of visibility, where self-expression may be filtered through algorithmic logic and cultural expectations. The study reveals that diaspora identity formation is fragmented and constantly reshaped through personal storytelling and audience engagement, highlighting how digital narratives reflect and reshape the complexities of diasporic life. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 106
Keywords [en]
Diaspora identity, Iranian diasporic influencers, diasporic narratives, Instagram, Audience engagement
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-68563OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-68563DiVA, id: diva2:1970144
Subject / course
HLK, Media and Communication Studies
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Examiners
Available from: 2025-06-18 Created: 2025-06-16 Last updated: 2025-10-13Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
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  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
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  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
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  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
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