The digitalization of family life : A multilevel conceptual framework

Qian, Yue and Hu, Yang (2024) The digitalization of family life : A multilevel conceptual framework. Journal of Marriage and Family, 86 (5). pp. 1160-1183. ISSN 0022-2445

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Abstract

The internet and digital technologies have penetrated all domains of people's lives, and family life is no exception. Despite being a characterizing feature of contemporary family change, the digitalization of family life has yet to be systematically theorized. Against this backdrop, this article develops a multilevel conceptual framework for understanding the digitalization of family life and illustrates the framework by synthesizing state-of-the-art research from multiple disciplines across global contexts. At a micro level, as individuals “do” family online, digitalization influences diverse aspects of family practices, including family formation, functioning, and contact. How individuals “do” family online is not free-floating but embedded in macro-level economic, sociocultural, and political systems underpinning processes of digitalization. Bridging the micro–macro divide, family-focused online communities serve as a pivotal intermediary at the meso level, where people display family life to, and exchange family-related support with, mostly nonfamily members. Meso-level online communities are key sites for forming and diffusing collective identities and shared family norms. Bringing together the three levels, the framework also considers cross-level interrelations to develop a holistic digital ecology of family life. The article concludes by discussing the contributions of the framework to understanding family change and advancing family scholarship in the digital age.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Journal of Marriage and Family
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300/3314
Subjects:
?? communicationfamilyfamily theoryinequalitiesmediatheoryanthropologyarts and humanities (miscellaneous)social sciences (miscellaneous) ??
ID Code:
215835
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
05 Mar 2024 10:20
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
09 Dec 2024 00:37