Doing 'race' on the internet: A study of online parenting communities

Abstract

'Race' is an important social category both face-to-face and online. Using online parenting communities as a case study, I investigate how 'race' is disclosed on the Internet. I find that 'race' is disclosed in these communities through the posting of photos and racialised avatars, and that racial disclosure is a routine practice. I also find that this particular part of cyberspace is a largely white space. As a result, while there are no formal processes of exclusion in this online context, this research shows that there are emerging forms of racial stratification appearing online indicating the ongoing significance of 'race'. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.