The Implications of the Use of Social Media on Political Development: Philadelphia University Students’ Perspective

Dr. Amani G. Jarrar

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the implications of the use of social media on political development from Philadelphia University students’ perspective. The researcher adopted the qualitative research approach proposed by Strauss and Corbin on a sample of (200) students out of (12,000) as the total population in the academic year (2016-2017). This approach incorporatedthree basic elements: the theoretical sensitive coding; that is, creating theoretical solid ideas from the information to clarify the phenomenon discussed; theoretical sampling; that is, choosing whom to meet or what to see next as indicated by the condition of the state of theory generation, and that implies starting data analysis with the first interview, and writing down early hypotheses; and the need to contrast phenomena and contexts to make the theory valid. The researcher concluded that it was the phrase of “Political participation” as a probable key category that led to the validation of the perceived hypothesis.