Chinese-language internet-based media consumption of Chinese people in the UK and their intercultural adaptation

Li, Siqi (2022) Chinese-language internet-based media consumption of Chinese people in the UK and their intercultural adaptation. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis explores the Chinese-language internet-based media use of Chinese people in the UK, and further discusses how this kind of media use and consumption impacts on their intercultural adaptation and the construction of their cultural identity. The development of globalisation has intensified the growth of population movement worldwide. Since the twenty-first century, the flow of Chinese population around the world has not stopped (Zhou, 2017). Intercultural individuals are usually on the cutting edge of new technology adoptions (Brinkerhoff, 2009). A growing body of research has been conducted to discuss the ethnic media consumption of intercultural individuals in this new media age, this research follows this direction and explores the role of Chinese-language internet-based media in the intercultural lives of Chinese people in the UK. This thesis constructs a theoretical framework for research on the relationship between the mother-language media use of intercultural individuals and their intercultural adaptation process. This study aims to fill several research gaps in the research area of the media use of Chinese people in the UK, as well as their intercultural adaptation and cultural identity.

This research project adopts an explanatory sequential, mixed methods approach, using a questionnaire survey, focus groups, and semi-structured, in-depth interviews to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The heart of the thesis contains three parts that respectively correspond to the three findings’ chapters of this thesis. They reveal the varied media life of Chinese people in the UK, the present intercultural adaptation status of Chinese people in the UK, and how the media use of Chinese people in the UK affects intercultural adaptation and identity construction. In general, this research suggests that the current Chinese-language internet-based media consumption of Chinese people in the UK is dominated by social media and accessed via mobile devices. Meanwhile, Chinese-language internet-based media can support Chinese people in the UK with both their psychological and sociocultural adaptation, as well as sustaining their Chinese cultural identity by provide a virtual Chinese cultural environment online. This research contributes new knowledge and empirical data on media consumption, intercultural adaptation status, and cultural identity features of different groups of Chinese people in the UK within the current transnational flow and global new media context.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Boyle, Professor Raymond and Sorensen, Dr. Inge
• Date of Award: 2022
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2022-83135
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 22 Sep 2022 13:56
• Last Modified: 20 Oct 2022 09:18
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.83135
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/83135