Web Communities as a Tool for the Social Integration of Immigrants Jasmina Maric PhD candidate
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ABSTRACT We live in a time of great historical transformation given by immense number of digitally processed information and thus, multiplication of connections and networks. At the same time, in the era of accelerated migration process we are still without successful integration model and without successful attempt to approach this problem from the Internet. Recent proliferation of the Web Communities brought to life new social dynamics and values that could overcome some traditional problems of immigrants. KEYWORDS computer networks, immigration networks, networking, immigration, web communities.
1. INTRODUCTION Nowadays, international migration is one of the biggest worldwide phenomenons (Penninx, 2004). Latest UN research shows (Trends in Total Migrants Stock, 2005) that current number of immigrants today is 196 millions. Migrants that are trying settle in more prosperous places to live (from rural to urban, from non opportunities to job available areas, from periphery to core) are considered here as immigrants. It is apparent that we live a time of great historical changes. (Castells, 2002) This transformation involves interaction between several features: revolution of IT, globalization and networking. At the same time new prevailing social norm emerged - networking (Castells, 2002), creating new social structure - network society. Revolution of IT resulted in exponentially growing number of Internet users for more than ten years. Number of Internet users by the end of 2007 is 1262 million which is 19,1% of population. Thanks to the fast development of Internet features, today we have: simple mutual communication, simple use of multimedia files, almost immediate interaction, real-time communication and user-friendly software solutions. Prominently, thanks to emergence of these features today we have proliferation of Web Communities. Web Communities are defined here as groups of individuals who mutually interact by using the Web. These three identified worldwide accelerating trends: immigration, network society and Web Communities, observed together signify that orientation to find social solution tool among Internet services is logical way of thinking. Even though it is evident that present models of EU integration are not successful, and even thought immigrants are very good and frequent users of modern technology, so far there are no successful attempt to put network technologies to work in this direction.
2. Background The theoretical framework of this study combines three fields of interest: i) immigration and lack of successful integration model ii) network society trend as a new social pattern and iii) Web communities’ features that are shaping social interaction of virtual world.
2.1 Immigration Problem According to OECD´s (Rudiger & Spencer, 2003) report with regard to employment, immigrants and ethnic minorities suffer on a regular basis from: low employment rates, concentration in specific segments of the labor market, low wages, poor working conditions and under representation in senior positions in the workplace, immigrants and ethnic minorities are generally in worse health, immigrants and ethnic minorities tends to reside in poorer districts and with less public facilities, have higher death rates and are more likely to be exposed to risk than the general population in the EU, and immigrants and ethnic minorities are discriminated, they live with strong feeling of dissatisfaction and disappointment. Immigration policies so far were mainly defensive and control-centered instead of pro-active. (Penninx, 2004) At the same time integration policies are almost absent. We were able to identify three dominant approaches in European integration (Rudiger & Spencer, 2003): assimilation of individuals – republican approach pursued by France; functional assimilation – in countries that do not perceive themselves as countries of immigration and deal with the immigration like a temporary phenomenon: Germany, Austria, Denmark, Italy and Greece; multicultural and communitarian – this approach pursued in UK, Netherlands and Sweden rest on pragmatic management of relations between different ethnic or racial communities. Socio-economic data for employment, education, health and housing in immigrant population show that equal and proportional inclusion of immigrants and ethnic minorities in vital spheres of life has not yet been achieved (Dumont & Lemaitre, 2005). Actual situation is not better; it is even brining more polarization and skepticism into the host society. (Buonfino at al., 2007).
2.2 Network Society Actual society is characterized by new social norm of organization – networking. (Castells, 2002) Technology was not the cause of the present social change, but it was absolutely necessary medium. Nothing is same anymore: we have new economy – informational, networked and global, work and employment are transformed, cultural expressions are shaped by IT, politics is fundamentally affected, notion of time and space also, the state ads traditional central of power is suffering dramatic transformation. All changes are enacted upon information networks. (Castells, 2000) Identified Network Society trend is particularly important perspective for this project since the essence of the social problematic of immigration (loss of contacts, discrimination etc) exists because of the loss of old and lack of new networks. Then, it is logical to look at new networks on the Internet, Web Communities, as places whose evolution is bringing them to stage as potential solution provider tools of this particular problem.
2.3 Web Community The word “community” comes from the Latin word “communitas” which means sharing, participating and fellowship. From this explanation it is clear that a community is much more than just another set of people. At
the same time, the use of “Web” as a shorter accepted name of the World Wide Web, suggests that communities that are made by and exist by using Web features, may reasonably be described with such term “Web communities”. There are many discussions in the literature and on the Web regarding the definition of Web community or any other community mediated through technology, such as online communities or virtual communities. But here, Web communities are defined as groups of individuals who mutually interact by using the Web. Users have a purpose of interaction that are supported by technology, and are guided by norms and policies (Preece, 2000). The effects of time, frequency of interaction, links within or outside the community, the technology that enables its existence, and the members’ motivations for joining the community, are just some of the characteristics that distinguish one type of Web community from another. The proliferation of Web communities brought to life a new system of values: Democratization, New Identity, Nationality, gender, race and sexuality blindness, Computer networks are social networks, Self-organizing and Mutual aid. The projects’ objective is to combine above mentioned features of all three pandemic social events: immigration, networking and Web Communities, in one, to test if Web Community as a new social activity environment can be a tool for solution of some traditional problems of immigration.
3. JUSTIFICATION This research hopes to theoretically contribute field of knowledge about Internet as a tool for social change and to increase interest in further research in this field.
4.1 Identified opportunities and problems Immigrants have formidable information and practical needs for help with adjusting to life in different country. In attempt to satisfy those needs immigrants are using all available means of technology and human resources. Internet utopians are claiming that the Internet provides new and better way of communication, while the other side, Internet skeptics, claims that Internet is just keeping people away of real life and their communities.
4.1.1 Usage of technology by immigrants and its social impact Recently research in this field gave more results showing that no one was right. Literature shows (Wellman at al., 2001) that Internet is becoming normalized and it is incorporated routine of everyday life and it just supplements social capital. Furthermore, heavy Internet use is associated with increased participation in voluntary organizations and politics. Taken together, their results suggest that the Internet is increasing interpersonal connectivity and organizational involvement. According to (Chiswick & Miller, 2007) immigrants are good users of computers. Recent arrivals are much more likely (by 15 %) to use computers than the native born. Further analysis shows that computer usage has positive effect on earnings both for native born and immigrants, though that effects are even much greater for foreign born. Research made to analyze how literacy and coping skills are used to benefit immigrant customers of Public Library software (Fisher at al., 2004), showed that community services delivered by usage of ICT can give long term results: users are becoming long term users, they are spreading positive effects and satisfactory stories which leads to increased number of users among friends and family, even new coming immigrants. Actually, authors realized that this was a clear example of strong social impact.
At the same time vivid research in this filed put more light to the problem point out that on the Internet the is so far much more effective as information tool than it is immigrant’s mobilization tool. (Staeheli at al., 2002) Many of the web sites identified in their research were directed at providing services and advocacy for lowincome or otherwise marginalized immigrants. Only the government and business-sponsored sites provided information that might also be helpful for “high-flying” immigrants. The immigrant’s need for emotional security drives a range of social needs, including the need to meet others of similar circumstances, and to feel part of the larger, new community, as well as to maintain connections to their native culture (Fisher at al., 2004) Connections to the native culture satisfies only part of immigrants’ social needs and Internet and Web communities as a tool, so far, were one of the best tools to satisfy that need.
4.2.2 Building new networks The importance of social capital was clearly defined by (Putnam, 1993) as “a features of social organization, such as networks, norms and trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit.” Therefore social capital enhances the benefits of investment in human and physical capital. Maybe the most interesting feature for central problem of this project is social capital’s convertibility in financial capital (Massey at al, 2001) derived from (Harker, Mahar, and Wilkes, 1990) Obviously all this presents networks like inevitable means of functioning in all societies, especially those that are facing numerous and wide differences. Contrarily, being without networks is the state of isolation, can lead to lack of information (Koser & Pinkerton, 2002), low power and influence potential. According to literature (Le Grand & Szulkin, 2002) immigrants and their integration are mostly defined by differences in the acquisition of human capital. As newcomers, it is logical that their human capital can not be compared with the native human capital potential, or ones of immigrants that are longer period in that particular society. Nevertheless, if they were given opportunity to use networking such networking would bring: sense of activity – contrary to the sense of passivity and bad resilience, feeling of belonging – being part of web community gives that feeling, and second opportunity chances – member would be in easier position to do more in the field of second opportunity just because on one place one would have various information and people with similar experiences.
4. Conclusion Research presented here shows that some immigration problems are basically network problems. Immigrants need help, new networks, new growth potential, but there is nothing offered to achieve that. Nevertheless, modern technology that is characterized as highly network organized and with features that are blind to classical immigrant problem, is poorly implemented in integration problem. Supplying immigrants with the user-friendly tool that can provide easy and cheap way of making new connections would make them finally part of new networks. Thanks to the membership in new networks immigrants will be empowered and therefore able to make changes towards more adequate solutions. Further analysis that will combine technological analysis and Web communities’ social impact will finally give complete picture and therefore will be able to offer useful practical solution. It is necessary to continue analysis of the Internet as a space for social changes, a space that provides tools for social problem solution.
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