The present study employs a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in order to establish the concept of datafication within the contemporary book culture, using the Goodreads platform...Show moreThe present study employs a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in order to establish the concept of datafication within the contemporary book culture, using the Goodreads platform as a primary case study. Through a close examination of the platform functionalities as well as of their implications for the overall reader experience today, the study attempts to analyze the changes that the current book culture has undergone in its hybrid form and to identify the dynamics between modern bookish platforms and their users. Upon conducting data analysis on Goodreads and Amazon reviews respectively, along with the observation of the shifting notions of Identity, Community, Ownership, Privacy and Control, it becomes evident that the modern reader is not merely a passive entity limited to the traditional ‘Reader’ archetype but rather emerges as a crucial agent of the contemporary book culture within the digital realm. Whether through their user-generated data or the composition of extensive reviews on popular titles, present-day readers possess the ability to determine emerging bookish trends and ultimately shape the book market. This pivotal role of the bookish-platform user culminates in a two-way relationship where users perpetually influence the platform they engage with, and vice versa.Show less
Books are deeply intertwined with the societies that produce them. Besides the unmistakable benefits leisure reading can give to individuals, such as literacy, creativity, imagination, knowledge...Show moreBooks are deeply intertwined with the societies that produce them. Besides the unmistakable benefits leisure reading can give to individuals, such as literacy, creativity, imagination, knowledge and empathy, this free time activity has an impact on a higher level too. The written word enables connections between individuals and communities in ways that were unimaginable before the Print Revolution. Books can encompass the values of a nation, they can communicate and reinforce them. These aspects are especially important in the case of a small nation with a distinct language, as a strong need of cultural preservation is present. The main focus of this thesis is the two-way connection between a country’s reading culture and its social, political and economic realms. It is based on the argument that participants of the reading landscape not only affect the readers with their actions, but have an indirect impact on the wider cultural system through the reading landscape. The means to support this argument is an analysis of the literary landscape of Hungary, based on a self-constructed model, the Reading Promotion Impact Matrix. The two dimensions of this model are the nation’s core values that are supported and reflected by the reading promotion efforts; and the areas that can impact and can be impacted by these reading promotion activities. The thesis also highlights the interactivity and interconnectedness of the participants of a country’s literary landscape.Show less
