Online communities continue to evolve as more people take on a virtual presence. This shift in online communities and the diversity of individuals populating the web has allowed for the emergence of virtual communities centered on niche topics of interests ranging from heavy metal music to indigenous and native culture.

Educational, Psychological, and Behavioral Considerations in Niche Online Communities examines the presence of online communities centered around niche topics of interest and the impact of these virtual spaces on community members. Taking perspectives from interdisciplinary fields such as sociology, psychology, and education, this publication will appeal to educators, psychologists, behaviorists, students, and researchers interested in the impact of virtual communities on individuals as well as the opportunities these online communities present.

Coverage:

The many academic areas covered in this publication include, but are not limited to:

Computer-Mediated Communication
Cyber Behavior
Digital Leadership
Leadership in Online Communities
Niche Online Communities
Online Identity
Virtual Learning Environments
Virtual Subcultures

Reviews & Statements

Venkatesh, Wallin, Castro, and Lewis present this in-depth volume on the use of web technologies in online-based niche communities. The compendium is divided into five broad sections excluding the conclusion. The first explores communities centered on visual arts and media, including pedagogical roles of video games, information visual networks, a case study in a quilting community, and DIY culture. The second section discusses feminist perspectives on online gaming, cyberspace use by Lebanese women, blogging from military families, and fandom in self-empowerment.

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Editor/Author Biographies

Vivek Venkatesh is an Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Development at the School of Graduate Studies and an Associate Professor in the Department of Education at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. His research publications traverse the areas of learning sciences, the impact of social media on online learning, extreme metal music scenes, and the integration of information and communication technologies in university settings. He is a member of several interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research initiatives which have been funded at the provincial and federal levels.

Jason J. Wallin is an Associate Professor of Media and Youth Culture in Curriculum in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, Canada, where he teaches courses in visual art, media studies, and cultural curriculum theory. He is the author of A Deleuzian Approach to Curriculum: Essays on a Pedagogical Life (Palgrave Macmillan), co-author of Arts-Based Research: A Critique and Proposal (with jan jagodzinski, Sense Publishers), and co-editor of Deleuze, Guattari, Politics and Education (with Matt Carlin, Bloomsbury). Jason is assistant editor for the Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy (Routledge) and reviews editor for Deleuze Studies (Edinburgh University Press).

Juan Carlos Castro is an Assistant Professor of Art Education at Concordia University in Montreal. His research focuses on the dynamics and qualities of knowing, learning, and teaching art through new and social media as understood through complexity thinking and network theory. His current research examines how mobile media coupled with creative production networks knowledge in urban environments to create educational and civic engagement with teens and young adults. Prior to joining the faculty at Concordia University, Juan has taught at the University of Illinois, the University of British Columbia, Johns Hopkins University, the Maryland Institute College of Art, and the Burren College of Art. Juan is a National Board Certified Teacher and taught at Towson High School in Maryland. As a high school teacher, Castro's teaching and curriculum was awarded a Coca-Cola Foundation Distinguished Teacher in the Arts from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts and twice awarded with a U.S. Presidential Scholars Teacher Recognition Award.

Jason Edward Lewis is a digital media artist, poet, and software designer. He founded Obx Laboratory for Experimental Media, where he directs research/creation projects devising new means of creating and reading digital texts, developing systems for creative use of mobile technology, and using virtual environments to assist Aboriginal communities in preserving, interpreting, and communicating cultural histories. He co-founded the Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace research network that is investigating how Native people participate in the shaping of our digital media future. Lewis is committed to developing intriguing new forms of expression by working on conceptual, creative, and technical levels simultaneously. His creative work has been featured at the Ars Electronica Center, ISEA, SIGGRAPH, Urban Screens, and Mobilefest, his writing about new media at conferences, festivals, and exhibitions on four continents, and his work has won awards at the Ars Electronica and imagineNative festivals. He is currently Program Director & Associate Professor of Computation Arts at Concordia University in Montreal.

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