How social media transform migrant networks and facilitate migration
How social media transform migrant networks and facilitate migration
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DOI：
10.1111/glob.12040
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发表时间：
2014-10-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Engbersen, Godfried
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dekker, Rianne;Engbersen, Godfried
我们认为，社交媒体不仅是移民网络中的新沟通渠道，而且还积极改变这些网络的性质，从而促进移民。尽管由于数字鸿沟和虚拟联系的可信度较低而存在一些限制，但定性数据揭示了社交媒体促进国际移徙的四种相关方式。首先，它们增加了与家人和朋友保持密切联系的可能性。第二，它们涉及与组织移徙和融合进程有关的薄弱联系。第三，它们建立了一个由潜在联系组成的新基础设施。第四，它们提供了关于移徙问题的丰富的内部知识来源，而且是独立和非官方的。这使得潜在的移民在进行移民时变得更加精明。基于这些实证研究结果，我们得出结论，社交媒体正在改变移民网络，从而降低移民门槛。
We argue that social media are not only new communication channels in migration networks, but also that they actively transform the nature of these networks and thereby facilitate migration. Despite some limitations, which stem from the digital divide' and the lower trustworthiness of virtual ties, qualitative data reveal four relevant ways in which social media facilitate international migration. First, they enhance the possibilities of maintaining strong ties with family and friends. Second, they address weak ties that are relevant to organizing the process of migration and integration. Third, they establish a new infrastructure consisting of latent ties. Fourth, they offer a rich source of insider knowledge on migration that is discrete and unofficial. This makes potential migrants streetwise' when undertaking migration. Based on these empirical findings we conclude that social media are transforming migration networks and thereby lowering the threshold for migration.