Allameh Tabataba’i University New Media Studies 2538-2209 1 1 2015 03 21 Representation of Privacy in Social Media:Ethnography of the Iranian Facebook Users Representation of Privacy in Social Media:Ethnography of the Iranian Facebook Users 69 96 4502 10.22054/cs.2015.4502 FA Abdollah Bicharanlou Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Tehran Hamed Talebian . Lecturer at Culture, Art & Communications Institute. (Corresponding Author) Sarah Zandevakili . Lecturer at Culture, Art & Communications Institute. (Corresponding Author). Journal Article 2015 06 17 This study attempted to understand the features and factors associated with representation of privacy among the Facebook users and its cultural consequences. To achieve this goal, first, we studied the cultural and semantic perceptions of the users about the concept of privacy in order to provide a basis for the study of representation, concealment and protection of privacy among the users. In order to understand cultural patterns, we used virtual ethnography. Through the fieldwork we performed online and offline ethnographical interviews with 21 active Facebook users in different intervals. The findings of this study indicated a core feature to be the diversity of the cultural definitions of the users of the concept of privacy. It is based on two factors of “tendency to represent” and “tendency to hide”. The synonyms of these concepts in social interactions are “tendency to view” and “tendency to review”.   <br />  This study attempted to understand the features and factors associated with representation of privacy among the Facebook users and its cultural consequences. To achieve this goal, first, we studied the cultural and semantic perceptions of the users about the concept of privacy in order to provide a basis for the study of representation, concealment and protection of privacy among the users. In order to understand cultural patterns, we used virtual ethnography. Through the fieldwork we performed online and offline ethnographical interviews with 21 active Facebook users in different intervals. The findings of this study indicated a core feature to be the diversity of the cultural definitions of the users of the concept of privacy. It is based on two factors of “tendency to represent” and “tendency to hide”. The synonyms of these concepts in social interactions are “tendency to view” and “tendency to review”.   <br />  https://nms.atu.ac.ir/article_4502_06407ee95a34e3fb4ef43c30932cf8ac.pdf