Following “Songlines” on Facebook.

“ But as long as he stuck to the track, he’d always find people who shared his Dreaming? Who were, in fact, his brothers.” (Chatwin, 1987, p.p 13)

This week’s discussions on narratives and the readings associated were particularly interesting to myself, when comparing Western culture with Indigenous culture, in the telling of narratives, and how this relates to my chosen virtual network, Facebook.

When we engage in the interactions associated with Facebook we leave footprints on our virtual landscapes and are guided by these footprints. These can be seem, at first, random but In the reading Songlines it explains that there is direction and meaning to the telling of this narratives. This is similar to the use of Facebook in that the information we load on profiles guides and directs the user by linking them with others via commonalities in information supplied.  When using Facebook we use it for many purposes. We use as a form of communication but also as a link with our identity and the communities we choose to interact with.

We find a belonging within these spaces as we link with friends, family and other with similar interests.

 Seeing a narrative as stories we tell about ourselves, everyday (van Luyn, 2013) Facebook is the perfect example, with the status updates and the information we provide to build our profiles.

References

Riem Natale,A. (2009) Bruce Chatwin and the Aboriginal Story “Murgah Muggai” Threading Songlines and web of lives. Retrieved from http://www.ub.edu/dpfilsa/jeasa1ariem.pdf

School of Arts and Social Sciences, James Cook University. (2013) BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives, and the making of place, Book of Readings. Townsville, Australia: Chatwin.

Van Luyn, A. (2013) BA1002: Our Space: Networks, narratives, and the making of place. [Lecture Notes] Retrieved from http://www.learnjcu.edu.au