Author(s): Amy Yau, Ben Marder, Stephanie O’Donohoe
Year of publication: 2019
Keywords: Social media, Identity, Acculturation, Transient migrants, Identity management
Methodology/Sample: Interviews/27 migrants
Reference: Yau, A., Marder, B., & O’Donohoe, S. (2019). The role of social media in negotiating identity during the process of acculturation. Information Technology & People, 33(2), 554-575. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-09-2017-0305
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to an understanding of the role of social media in negotiating and managing identity for transient migrants relating to the home and host culture during the acculturation process.
Design/methodology/approach: Focussing on international students in the UK, this paper reports on findings from a qualitative study involving interviews with 27 transient migrants about their social media use and the negotiation of their identity online.
Findings: This paper highlights the multifaceted role that social media plays in the identity negotiations of transient migrants and it offers three theoretical contributions. First, the authors show that social media serves as a medium, consequence and determinant of identity. Second, provide four strategies for identity management are provided: boundary management, access management, online content management and offline content management. Third, contextualised support is provided for a reciprocal relationship between the different identity-related roles played by social media.
Research limitations/implications: The paper highlights the complex role of social media for identity within the acculturation process for transient migrants. Identity contestation may be salient for young student migrants, especially where there is a large cultural distance between the home and host culture. Identity negotiations and struggles may not be salient with older migrants or migrants who have migrated for different reasons or where there is a small cultural distance between the home and host culture.
Practical implications: This paper offers recommendations for social media site designers for enhancing the users experience during acculturation by guiding the navigation with identity management strategies as well as to highlight the possible predicaments of not managing their identity online.
Originality/value: Based on qualitative research with transient migrants using social media during acculturation, the paper provides a theoretical model of the role and reciprocal relationship of social media for identity, serving the role as a medium, consequence and determinant. The paper incorporates four identity management strategies that migrants can use on social media
> Summary
- The paper explores the role of social media in identity negotiation for transient migrants, particularly international students in the UK, during the acculturation process.
- It identifies social media as a medium, determinant, and consequence of identity, highlighting its multifaceted role in managing identities between home and host cultures.
- Four identity management strategies are proposed: boundary management, access management, online content management, and offline content management.
- The study emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between social media use and identity-related behaviors, suggesting that social media can both support and complicate identity negotiations.
> Problem statement
- The paper addresses the complex role of social media in the identity negotiations of transient migrants, particularly international students in the UK, during the acculturation process. It highlights the challenges faced by these individuals as they navigate multiple cultural identities and the scrutiny from diverse audiences online. The study emphasizes the need for understanding how social media serves not only as a medium for identity expression but also as a determinant and consequence of identity complications. This multifaceted relationship creates social anxiety and necessitates various identity management strategies to mitigate the repercussions of cultural discrepancies.
> Methods used
- The study employed purposive sampling to recruit international students who were social media users.
- In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted both face-to-face and via online Skype.
- Interviews lasted between 45 to 90 minutes, exploring participants’ experiences and social media use.
- Participants accessed their social media accounts during interviews to illustrate their online activity.
- Inductive analysis and axial coding were used to identify relationships between codes.
- The research involved 27 transient migrants, focusing on their social media use and identity negotiation.
> Practical implications
- The paper provides recommendations for social media site designers to enhance user experience during the acculturation process by incorporating identity management strategies.
- It emphasizes the importance of understanding social privacy issues that arise from social media membership, particularly for transient migrants.
- The findings highlight the dual role of social media in facilitating identity maintenance while also presenting challenges, such as the multiple-audience problem.
- Practitioners are encouraged to acknowledge both the opportunities and challenges that social media presents for identity activities, ensuring a balanced approach to user engagement.