Zudilina N. Identity formation in the Internet-based communities

The thesis is devoted to the study of identity formation in Internet-based communities. The topicality of the problem is conditioned upon growth of the role of cyberspace as the sphere of communication for different communities, participation in which influences the identity formation of users. In this thesis an interdisciplinary model of identity is further developed; it is proposed the structural model of identity formation as the actualization of its primordial potential, and the model of the virtual projections of identity as a way of identity formation in cyberspace. Due to these models, it is shown that each man has only one identity, which manifests itself in multiple aspects in offline and online environments.