Public Pedagogy, Community, and Social Technologies in the “It Gets Better Project”

• In Event: Roundtable Session 100
  In Roundtable Session: Challenging Epistemologies and Methodologies That Frame Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Research

Abstract

LGBT adults who recorded videos for the It Gets Better Project were participants in a phenomenon that bound together different conceptions of community, social media technologies, and the space between public pedagogy and activism.

This case study focuses on ten video creators and their perceptions of their motivations for sharing personal experiences as part of the project, the influence of participation on their engagement with and interest in LGBT issues, their roles as activist or educator, and the role social media usage plays in their lives.

Author

• Sara Hurley, University of Minnesota