Identity building through online shopping sites: Siirt example

The thesis aims to investigate the effect of online shopping on human behavior and its connection with identity construction. Understanding the role of online shopping in identity building in the digitalizing world is an important issue that can guide policy development. Therefore, the thesis works by focusing on the effect of online shopping on identity construction. Based on the assumption that shopping habits and consumption behavior are decisive in identity construction, the study investigates how online shopping changes consumption behaviors and what role it plays in the reconstruction of identity. The consumption-promoting contents, campaigns and advertisements of online shopping sites and their effects on consumer behavior are handled with an interpretive approach. The research predicts that the decisive role of online shopping in identity construction may be effective in the transformation of existing cultural norms in the long run. In this context, it also examines the effect of online shopping on social change, and thus deals with the construction of identity at the individual level, as well as its impact on cultural norms at the social dimension. The interviews were conducted and produced in this setting because of sociocultural factors and since Siirt is the city of residency. This thesis is a qualitative research using a phenomenological design. By choosing the snowball sampling method, the sampling type was created with this method. The research started with a literature review and then semi-structured interviews were conducted with income earners. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed by content analysis method. After the field interviews were recorded, content analysis was made on the data and interpretation and evaluation were made by establishing a connection with the theoretical and conceptual framework. In this thesis, a series of findings are analyzed to examine identity construction through online shopping sites. Findings show that participants prefer online stores rather than physical stores and their shopping habits are affected by various factors.