THE LATENT SPHERE OF THE NETWORK SOCIETYByJOANNE ISOBEL WHITEB.A., Griffith University, Qld, Australia, 2005Grad. Dip., Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia, 2006A thesis submitted to theFaculty of the Graduate School of theUniversity of Colorado in partial fulfillmentof the requirement for the degree of Masters of Mass Communication ResearchSchool of Journalism and Mass Communication2010

This thesis entitled:The Latent Sphere of the Network SocietyWritten by Joanne Isobel WhiteHas been approved for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication_______________________________________________Nabil Echchaibi, PhD._______________________________________________Stewart Hoover, PhD._______________________________________________David Slayden, PhD._______________________________________________Leysia Palen, PhD.Date____________________The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and weFind that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standardsOf scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline.IRB Protocol Number # 0210.3

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White, Joanne Isobel (Masters in Mass Communication Research, School of Journalism and Mass Communication)The Latent Sphere of the Network SocietyThesis directed by Associate Professor Nabil Echchaibi

The intermingling of the online and offline spheres has seen a marked blurring and today IRLembraces all forms of identity. Women and mothers in particular, have long struggled withidentity, and the rise in popularity of social media has provided them with a channel of connection in ways never before encountered. The power of women in social media is unmet byany other group. Companies seeking commercial benefit from this force of spending decisionmakers are attempting to infiltrate the mom blogger environment.This thesis considers a mom blogger event run by Nestle in September 2009, and the negativereactions of the social media community, both towards the company and the bloggers whoattended. Issues of social capital, identity work and the latent sphere of community presentwithin the online realm are explored through a triangulated research methodology whichprovides an insightful picture of online communities and the organization and politicization of the space.