Construction of Professional and Personal Identity in the Social Network Facebook on the Example of Russian Sociologists

The master's thesis is devoted to the study of the «boundary management» problem between professional and personal identity in the social network Facebook on the example of a professional group of Russian sociologists. Since this network is a space for both personal and professional interactions, account maintenance often leads to a collision between the professional and personal spheres, which requires a balance between them. The purpose of the study is to identify strategies for managing the boundaries between professional and personal identity. The empirical base is the results of interviewing Russian sociologists in combination with quantitative content analysis of profiles on Facebook. Within the framework of the qualitative stage of the study, the functions of social networks were disclosed, a typology of strategies for managing online borders was developed, and reasons for controlling information in the profile were identified. In the course of the quantitative stage, the specifics of constructing the virtual identity of Russian sociologists in terms of generations and activities are determined.