Dr Erika Pearson
BA(Murdoch) PhD(Curtin)
Senior Lecturer

Office - Richardson 6C23
Tel 64 3 479 8680
Email erika.pearson@otago.ac.nz

My research interests cover several aspects of internet culture, including virtual communities, fan culture, trust networks, hacktivism and political activism online, complexity in virtual social networks, and notions of social capital in cyberspace.   I am also interested in intersections of image culture with digital technologies, particularly in terms of digital photography and photo-manipulation, and how these are created, used, and disseminated across the internet.   I would be happy to talk to any student wishing to pursue further studies in these general areas.

I am also the founding convener of the Internet Research Group of Otago (IRGO), and welcome correspondence from internet researchers from all disciplines.

Papers taught 2012

MFCO 103 Introduction to Communication Studies

MFCO 251 Television Studio Production

Conferences and Publications

Chapter in Book - Research

Kreps, D., & Pearson, E. (2009). Community as commodity: Social networking and transnational capitalism. In N. Panteli (Ed.), Virtual social networks: Mediated, massive and multiplayer sites (pp. 155-174). Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Pearson, E. (2010). Making a Good (Virtual) First Impression: The use of visuals in online impression management and creating identity performances. In, J. Berleur, M.D. Hercheui & L.M. Hilty (Eds.) What Kind of Information Society? Governance, virtuality, surveillance, sustainability, resilience (pp. 118-131). Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Pearson, E. (2011, forthcoming). Digital Gifts. In, T. Tuten (Ed.), Enterprise 2.0: Volume 4 -- Consuming Enterprise. Santa Barbara, USA: Praeger.

Pearson, E. (2009). The Internet. In S. Moss (Ed.), The Entertainment Industry: An introduction. (pp. 133-152). Oxfordshire, UK: CABI.

Pearson, E. (2005). Trust: Is social capital a precondition for democratic activity online? In. M. Consalvo and M. Allen (Eds.), Internet Research Annual: 2003, volume 2 (pp. 85-94). New York, USA: Peter Lang Publishing.

Journal - Research Article

Pearson, E. (2009). All The World Wide Web's A Stage: The performance of identity in online social networks. First Monday, 14(3). Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2162/2127

Leong, S., Mitew, T., Celletti, M., & Pearson, E. (2009). The question concerning (internet) time. New Media and Society, 11(8), 1267-1285. doi: 10.1177/1461444809349159

Pearson, E. (2009). Forecasts or fallacies: Two issues for futures research on the internet. Futures, 41(3), 140-146. doi: 10.1016/j.futures.2008.09.011

Pearson, E. (2007). Digital gifts: Participation and gift exchange in LiveJournal communites. First Monday, 12(5). Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1835/1719

Articles (non-refereed)

Pearson, E. (2010). Editorial: Online social networks, communication practice and public relations. PRism. 7(3). http://www.prismjournal.org/socialnetworks.html.

Pearson, E. (April 2008). “Everything is Miscellaneous.” RCCS Reviews Online. http://rccs.usfca.edu/bookinfo.asp?BookID=359&ReviewID=456.

Πεαρσον, Ε. (2001). What is hacktivism? Hacktivist Magazine Online. http://www.iwar.org.uk/hackers/resources/the-hacktivist/issue-1/vol1.html#07

Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Conference Chair: IRGO2.0: Resistance and Control. (Jan 2011), Dunedin, NZ.

Pearson, E. (November 4, 2010). Teaching With Technology. Fostering Reflective Practice Symposia. Dunedin, NZ, 4 Nov, 2010.

Pearson, E. (September 23, 2010). Making a Good (Virtual) First Impression. HCC9/IFIP9 World Conference. Brisbane, Australia, 20-23 September, 2010. Conference Chair: IRGO unConference 1.0: NZ’s Internet Futures. (Nov 2009), Dunedin, NZ.

Pearson, E. (panel chair). boyd, d., Tuszynski, S., and Long, A. (Oct, 2009). Friends and Followers: Renegotiating Friendship Online, AoIR International Conference IR10: Internet Critical. Milwaukee, USA, 7-10 October, 2009.

Pearson, E. (November, 2008). When Fangirls Attack! Post-Feminism and Comic Book Bloggers. Sociological Association of Aotearoa New Zealand (SAANZ) Sociology Conference: Multidisciplinary Sociology. Dunedin, New Zealand, 26-28 November, 2008.

Pearson, E. (November, 2008). Blogging Teaching, Learning Blogging. Spotlight on Teaching and Learning. Dunedin, New Zealand, 19-20 November, 2008.

Pearson, E. (October, 2008). When Image Matters: Visual Communication and Online Social Groups. AoIR International Conference IR9: Rethinking Community, Rethinking Place. Copenhagen, Denmark, 15-18 October 2008.

Pearson, E. and Kreps, D. (July, 2008). Community as Commodity. IFIP9.5. Exploring Virtuality. Lueneburg, Germany, 1-2nd July 2008. Pearson, E. (June, 2008). Identity Issues in Virtual Communities [panel presentation, convener] International Conference on Computer Mediated Social Networking (ICCMSN). Dunedin, New Zealand, 11-13 June 2008.

Pearson, E. (2007). Fanips: Visual Manipulation and Community. AoIR International Conference 8: Let’s Play. Vancouver, Canada, 17-20 October 2007. [session chair]

Pearson, E. (2007). Survivor: Graduate School- A Roundtable on Coping with the Challenges of the Graduate School "Experience.” AoIR International Conference 8: Let’s Play. Vancouver, Canada, 17-20 October 2007.

Pearson, E. (2007). Convenor: Birds of a Feather session “Visual Culture.” AoIR International Conference 8: Let’s Play. Vancouver, Canada, 17-20 October 2007.

Pearson, E. (2006). Future Uses for the Internet. AoIR International Conference 7. Brisbane, Australia, September 2006. [session chair]

Pearson, E. (2006). The More Things Change: Futures Research Issues on the Internet. Curtin Divisional Seminar Series. Perth, Australia, 24 April 2006.

Pearson, E. (2003). Trust: Is social capital a precondition for democratic activity online? AoIR International Conference 4. Toronto, Canada, 16-19 Oct 2003. [session chair]

Pearson, E. (2002). Telling Stories. AoIR International Conference 3. Maastricht, The Netherlands, 13-16 Oct 2002.

Other Creative Works

Synnott, D. [Producer] (2009, September 7). Ghost Train [Music Video]. (Shoot director)