A survey on the experience of "self" in internet-based communications of women: A Case Study of 15-29 years old female internet users in the City of Saghez, Iran

This paper examines the question of women’s self in virtual space and analyzes how women in the city of Saghez, in the western Iranian province of Kurdistan, experience “self”. Methodologically, the researcher conducts the survey based on the data provided by a case study among 15 to 29 years old female internet users in the city of Saghez. The problem of this analysis lies in the question of how the experience of "female’s self" takes place through the communications of female users. In order to tackle this problem, Lacanian theory of self (Lacan, 1988; Shawver, 1998) and Zizek’s (2008) considerations regarding formation of self in virtual space are utilized. A field study based on qualitative approach of collecting data consisting of direct observation and written and oral structured interviews is carried out. The data is then categorically coded and is classified. The findings are thus used to support our theoretical framework. The results of this study indicate that the experience of female self in internet-based communication is affected by some type of lack of confidence that the users felt was present in the virtual space. Meanwhile, the users combine their confidence anxieties with established norms and beliefs which they had learned in the real world.