Multi-territoriality, culture and social networks: hybrid spatiality and practices of Hip Hop movement in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

We bring on the debate how hip hop movement constructs hybrid spatialities in the urban scene and how it delineates its peripheral coexistence in the city of Rio de Janeiro. This work aimed to give visibility to hip hop culture and to nvestigate the inclusion of virtual communities in the hybrid territories of the city. One of the action mechanisms of hip hop movement works through social networking sites and virtual social networks. Thus, from the virtual communities it is observed the construction of a multi-territoriality resulting from the overlapment of territories able to disrupt temporal and geographic boundaries. This research was conducted in the period between September 2008 and April 2010, resulting in textual and photographic reports. Our methodology was based on field research and research on social networking sites (wikis, orkut, twitter and blogs) of hip hop movement. From an exploratory and unstructured research, we identified that these virtual social networks are characterized by a feeling of belonging, common sense and intense social interaction. Virtual social networks show that cyberspace is considered an increase of social and cultural capital. Understanding this digital interface allows a better understanding of the expansion of new forms of social networks and of elargement of social capital in our society.