Linking Everyday Information Behaviour and Asian Immigrant Settlement Processes: Towards a Conceptual Framework

Abstract

International migration is a worldwide phenomenon. However, the process of immigrants' settlement is still considered an under-researched area from an information perspective. Navigating information throughout the settlement process is considered challenging but critical for immigrants. The uptake of information is deemed significant to both the well-being of immigrants and their host countries. An important outcome of the capability to navigate information in a new landscape is increasing the likelihood of social inclusion in a new country. More empirical research is needed to identify the characteristics of immigrants' information behaviour in the context of their settlement. This paper provides an overview of immigrants' information behaviour studies and the use of public library services by immigrants and identifies gaps in the literature. Supported and tested by a pilot study, a conceptual framework is developed to underpin a study into Asian immigrants' information behaviour in South Australia, linking their information needs, information seeking, information grounds and information sharing, and corresponding public library services to their ongoing settlement.

The Role of Online Discussion Forums in Newcomers' Labour Market Integration in Canada

“…Notwithstanding the differences in terminologies and definitions of various types of international workers, and differences in newcomers' countries of origin, there is an important commonality in that newcomers need to find employment (with the exception of traditional expatriates who typically have jobs prior to migrating) to fully function and integrate in the country of destination (Cerdin et al, 2014;Crowley-Henry et al, 2016;Dietz et al, 2015;Fang et al, 2013;Frank, 2013;Guo and Al Ariss, 2015;Reitz, 2007a, 200b;Reitz et al, 2014). Integration of newcomers in the local labour market is critical for their successful settlement and adjustment, and overall wellbeing (Dietz et al, 2015;Hansen, 2012;Khoir et al, 2015b;Mahajan and Toh, 2014;Paul and Moser, 2009;Reitz et al, 2014;Wang and Sangalang, 2005).…”

“…Limited or lack of local language proficiency is also a substantial barrier for newcomers seeking employment in the local market (Al Ariss and Syed, 2011;Fang et al, 2013;Syed, 2008;Syed and Murray, 2009;Turchick Hakak and Al Ariss, 2013). Lack of local language proficiency limits newcomers' employment opportunities, for example, by impacting the quality of their job applications (e.g., cover letters, resumes, and interview process) and by limiting their access to local information sources (Fang et al, 2013, Khoir et al, 2015bSirikul and Dorner, 2016). Research on newcomers in English-speaking countries showed substantial income differences between newcomers from English speaking and non-English speaking backgrounds (Syed, 2008;Syed and Murray, 2009).…”

“…Newcomers need information to fully function in the new environment and they use specific information practices to seek, access, and gather needed information (Caidi et al, , 2010Mao, 2015;McKenzie, 2003;Savolainen, 2008). There are multiple information sources available to newcomers, such as social networks in the new country (e.g., friends, family), government organizations (e.g., community centers, public libraries), ethnic media (e.g., ethnic newspapers, radio and television), and various information and communication technologies (e.g., the Internet, smartphones) (Ahmed and Veronis, 2017;Caidi et al, 2010;Chen, 2015;Frijters et al, 2005;Hoye et al, 2009;Jeong, 2004;Khoir et al, 2015Khoir et al, , 2015bKhoir et al, , 2017Yin, 2015).…”

“…Research suggests that newcomers can seek social support from various sources, including family, friends, and co-workers (Hynie et al, 2011, Simich, 2003, ethnic communities (Makwarimba et al, 2013;Stewart et al, 2008), co-workers and locals (Boese, 2015;Farh et al, 2010;Podsiadlowski et al, 2013;Stroppa and Spieß, 2010;van Bakel et al, 2017), and government organizations (Darrow, 2015;Pittaway et al, 2015). However, newcomers typically lack the relevant knowledge of local information environment and social support sources in new and largely unfamiliar labour market environments (Dietz et al, 2015;Khoir and Koronios, 2015b;Kilpatrick et al, 2015;Stroppa and Spieß, 2011). In addition, when newcomers migrate to a foreign country they typically leave behind a very large part of their social networks (e.g., friends, family, co-workers), which are important sources of various types of social support in their homelands (Farh et al, 2010;Stroppa and Spieß, 2011;Van Bakel et al, 2017).…”

“…Newcomers typically lack relevant knowledge of the new country's labour market and lack local sources of support. As a result, more and more newcomers are turning to the Internet (e.g., job search websites and online discussion forums) to seek information and to connect with experienced people with the relevant knowledge (Fang et al, 2013;Khoir et al, 2015Khoir et al, , 2015bTurchick Hakak and Al Ariss, 2013). Recently, increasing number of newcomers use online discussion forums and this study focuses on the examination of this phenomenon (Caidi et al, 2014;Janta and Ladkin, 2013).…”