Information experience in a diaspora small world

Kizhakkethil, Priya

doi:10.47989/irisic2022

Cited by 2 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Refugees often lack access to information sources due to lack of social networks and build a small-world around them which consists of people from their own sociocultural setting (Bronstein, 2019;Talhouk et al, 2016). Women refugees suffer more with the small-world barriers due to cultural limitations (Kizhakkethil, 2020). For instance, it is noticed that women's social network that previously consisted of their extended family is now fractured and causing trouble in living alone for the first time.…”

Section: Small-worldmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, 2016). Women refugees suffer more with the small-world barriers due to cultural limitations (Kizhakkethil, 2020). For instance, it is noticed that women's social network that previously consisted of their extended family is now fractured and causing trouble in living alone for the first time.…”

Section: Definitions and Literature Review With Theoretical Directionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, complete, timely, right and culturally appropriate information provision can support their integration into a foreign society (Caidi and Allard, 2005). Although it is acknowledged that women migrants face challenges in accessing, using and sharing information, which may be different from the men counterparts (Kizhakkethil, 2020), previous studies concerning specifically refugees have often generalized both the women and men refugees in understanding their information experiences (e.g. Oduntan and Ruthven, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sociocultural barriers to information and integration of women refugees

Kainat

Eskola

Widén

2021

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PurposeThis study focuses on specifically women refugees' experiences of accessing information and how sociocultural barriers impact these experiences aiming to broaden the LIS literature of women refugees' information problems from sociocultural aspects. The socioculturally formed roles of a woman can impact the information practices of women refugees or cause certain information problems during the integration process. Hence, the research questions that drive this study are: What kind of information problems might women refugees face in a new host country? What kind of sociocultural barriers influence their information problems? How do they react toward these information problems?Design/methodology/approachThe study is designed based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with eighteen refugee women living in Sweden. The study is a part of a larger study in which authors intend to explore the information practices and integration challenges of almost 20 or more refugee women living in Sweden.FindingsWomen refugees face information overload, difficulties in understanding new communication culture and lack of appropriate sources and networks in a new country. These information problems are influenced by sociocultural barriers such as the role of women, national culture of “collectivism”, small-world and lack of information literacy. Women react in certain ways such as, stressing, panicking, quitting the tasks, wasting time and making wrong decisions which negatively impact the integration process.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has its limitations as it is conducted with a small group of women refugees, belong to specific Middle Eastern culture and cannot be generalized. Another limitation is that the interviews are conducted in English language (with sufficient language skill). However, conducting interviews in their mother language would have been an advantage.Practical implicationsPractically, the study provides awareness for official and private organizations, volunteers and policymakers dealing with refugees. The stakeholders involved in the societal integration process of refugees, must consider that women refugees are more prone to information problems due to certain sociocultural influences (i.e. “being a woman” and national culture) and need a separate plan than the male refugees. For instance, by increasing and offering intercultural opportunities at workplaces or schools can encourage the wider social networking for women refugees. The programs aiming to reduce the sociocultural differences among women refugees and the Swedes are needed to be included in the integration policy.Social implicationsThe study intends to help the refugees society and the Swedish society overall by improving the integration plan.Originality/valueThe findings related to the information experiences of women refugees have potential implications for research where the value of information in the integration process is explored. The study meets the gap in previous literature by presenting the gender specific views on information problems from sociocultural aspects. The study also provides future directions to understand how women refugees deal with potential sociocultural barriers to information in a new country.

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Section: Small-worldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Definitions and Literature Review With Theoretical Directionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sociocultural barriers to information and integration of women refugees

Kainat

Eskola

Widén

2021

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“…The broad research question was: What does experiential information look like in the diaspora small world? (Kizhakkethil, 2020a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adopting this view, Pollak (2015) looked at experience in general in a small rural context across the life, work, and leisure spectrum to come to an understanding of experiential information. Following this approach for this study, leisure is viewed as an experience, without further classifying it as serious or not (Kizhakkethil, 2020a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information as Meaningful Experience

Kizhakkethil

2021

Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Tech

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Leisure is seen as important in the settlement and acculturation experiences of immigrant and refugee populations as well as helping them in maintaining their cultural identity and ties to their homeland. The study covered by this paper looks at a virtual small world, converging around a leisure activity of fanfiction reading and writing from a gender and diaspora perspective, with an aim to understanding what is experienced as information within that context. Adopting a theoretical lens drawing on information and document experience literature, information was found to be experienced as everyday, as social ties, as awareness and as memories leading to a broad conceptualization of information as meaningful experience. The study also highlighted the important role played by the social context in these experiences of information, while underscoring the usefulness in adopting an experience approach, going beyond what has been the norm in the form of information seeking and problematic situations.

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Information experience in a diaspora small world

Cited by 2 publications

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Sociocultural barriers to information and integration of women refugees

Sociocultural barriers to information and integration of women refugees

Information as Meaningful Experience

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