The Internet Connectivity: 1.5 Generation Chinese Migrants and Social Capital

The thesis examines the communication practices of 1.5 generation Chinese migrants across a variety of internet platforms. It takes the perspective of media studies to investigate the social capital acquisition and maintenance of young Chinese migrants after their migrating to New Zealand from China. The research data is derived from semi-structured in-depth interviews and user-generated online texts. The interview approach is employed to gain young Chinese migrants' perceptions of their lived experience which shapes their internet-based media preferences and use habits. The textual analysis of user-generated contents provides complementary evidence regarding young migrants' communicative activities on social network sites and microblogging, illustrating the maintenance of social capital in different forms. Research findings show that the Chinese migrant youth employ all available means to connect with strong-tie contacts, whereas they only participate in the group-wide internet platform (e.g. Facebook, Renren) for weak tie maintenance. Findings also suggest that within different media contexts, young Chinese migrants consciously share their personal information and participate in reciprocal interactions so as to maintain the social networks of different tie strength in home and host country. This research argues that the internet connectivity has profoundly transformed the way that Chinese migrant youth dominate their personal social networks across the geographical and ethnic boundaries. These young migrants gain more control over the attainment of social capital - network development and resources acquisition - with the facility of the internet. The acquired social capital is crucial to addressing migrant youth's sociocultural adaptation and their transition from adolescence to adulthood at the same time. This thesis contributes to both studies of Chinese migrant youth and social capital research by providing insight into the impacts of the internet. Empirically, homeland online communication media has been identified as an essential component making up Chinese migrant youth's media landscape. In the theoretical aspect, revising the existing literature on migrant use of specific types of internet platforms, this study helps deepen our understanding of how migrant youth simultaneously acquire social capital in the home and host country.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Asian Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

ResearchSpace@Auckland

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Liu, Xiaoting

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• IP, M
• Goode, L
• Clark, P

Statement dc:rights

• Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated. Previously published items are made available in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2292/48836

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/48836