Modern Communication Technology And Acculturation Of Children Education Essay

Modern Communication Technology And Acculturation Of Children instruction EssayOver the last several years, as stark naked waves of African immigrants and their children have continued to enter the join States, enquiryers have considered the imp motivate of semiotics of red-brick discourse net organizes and technologies on kindlyizing and cultural identity, as rise up as the military groups of immigration on the nations economy and caller. However, the sort immigrant children lodge to American set by using hearty net kit and caboodle and technologies has been mostly ignored. McDonnell pitcher (2008) beg offed that children entering the unite States today represent a oddly various range of cultures, and most of importly, just about have had little or no formal education in their native countries.Little is known about(predicate) how cultural conflicts evolved from the go for of these technologies and became integrated into core American set in communions, ca rriageal skills, attitudes and last(a)ly under rise the norms of American society and the cultural semiotics that atomic number 18 prevalent. An new(prenominal) overlooked factor is generally the impact the act of using current conversation engine room has on the get outance act upon and the psychological consequences that emerge as these new v-year-old African immigrants keep an eye on a new culture, new mixer norms and values, and most importantly, a new cultural language.Relevance of this lookKristin McCarthy (2010) confirms that immigration and the subsequent cultivation work at topics in enormous stress for children. McCarthy (2010) slender how experts agree that being affiliated and accepted is an important comp iodinnt of adolescent development, and the inability to have this contact and behave as Americans could result in an increased risk of depression, suicide, bullying, alienation, teach failures and drop-outs. Failure to connect could also lead to m isinterpretation of societal values leading to criminal activities. Most importantly, the language barrier may express about rejection from the society. Redfield, Linton Herskovits (1936) showed that there is growing attention on the role of acculturation, the thickening operate of change that individuals start as a result of continual contact with an more or less other culture in behaviors of immigrants residing in the United States. prove is mixed as to whether acculturation using friendly networks and modern talk technology helps or harms African immigrants who represent America their new home. This weigh leave behinding be the prime(prenominal) to evaluate the dealinghip between acculturation and modern converse technologies amongst African immigrants. This take away should provide a creation for come along cross-cultural research on mixer communication networks, acculturation and the physical and psychological functioning of African American childrenSignifi cance of the hassleThe influx of African immigrants and their children to the United States in the last two decades has been phenomenal. The return of African immigrants to the United States more than quadrupled in the last two decades (Immigration and naturalisation Services, 2009, Jo, 1999). We argon aw ar of the correlates of societal performance behavior of African American children (Chandler et al, 2002), However, little is known about the complaisant activity behaviors and unique personal, amicable and environsal correlates of complaisant activity in African immigrant children uptake of sociable networks and communication technologies in their adjustment to a new society. Thus, it is important to get a line the influence of acculturation process using genial networks and modern communication technologies, in addition to everydayly examined correlates of social activity on African American childrens social activity behavior.Objective of this guinea pigThe conclu sion of this study is to examine how the accustom of network social communication networks like MySpace, Facebook, cheep and modern communication technologies like smart-phones gross messages, mul condemnationdia (online gaming), blogging and watchword forums called Social Activity, have impacted the acculturation process of unseasoned African immigrants(18-25 years) to the nation. The bigger goal is to increase understanding of cultural conflicts, semiotics of language differences, and adaptation process in order to promote diversity and enrichment in American society.Research disbeliefsThe proposed research give answer the chase questionsWhat are the social activity behaviors of immature African immigrants using social networks or modern communication technologies?What are the metrics of young African immigrants potential strategies to be pursued within their adaptation process cor cerebrate with their use of social networks and modern communication technology?Is there a direct effect and/or indirect effect of acculturation on social activity behavior by means of intrapersonal correlates of social activity using social networks and modern communication technology?What are the relationships between acculturation (multidimensional young African immigrant and American acculturation and proxy language, distance of stay in the US, age at immigration) and other background correlates of social activity (use of social network sites, communication with peers on Internet and communication technologies serving as status symbol), interpersonal correlates of social activity and social activity behaviors of young African immigrants.Conceptual good examplelingThe conceptual framework use to guide this study giveing be adapted from Anthony Giddens structuration theory of interaction of groups and organizations with information technology called Adaptive Structuration supposition (DeSanctis, G., Poole (1994) modified this model and use it successfully and criticized the technocentric view of technology use and emphasized social aspects. DeSanctis, G., Poole, M. S. (1994) emphasized that groups and organizations using information technology for their work dynamically create perceptions about the role and utility of the technology, and how it can be applied to their activities. These perceptions can vary widely crosswise groups. One study assumption of this model is that the role and utility of technology and how it can be applied influence the way and how technology is used and hence middle(a) its impact on group outcomes. To understand and give inclemency to these perceptions by DeSanctis Pooles theory (1994), Gordon (1964) concept of Assimilation in American bearing allow be evaluated to determine changes in behaviors pattern of immigrants based on use of technology.Literature reviewsThis research pass on present a comprehensive literary productions review on acculturation of young African immigrant into americans social-c ultural pattern in their use of social technologies. An in-depth look get out be provided into the aspects of web-based social technology associated phenomena including languages, interactions, cultural influences and status quo of these technologies as modern wave of new propagation acceptance. Amongst specific literatures to be reviewed exit be based on the following model lists.Social change and AcculturationSocial activity modifys psychological science of social change and acculturation, which showed that many psychological characterizes become altered as individuals experience changes in their socio-cultural milieus (Berry, J. W., Poortinga, Segall Dasen, 2002). These changes can be as a result of social changes that are taking place from within a society (Georgas, 1993), or may result from contact with other cultures (Feldman et al, 2002). Berry et al (2002) also concluded that these changes have been identified as economic changes that break away people away from tradit ional pursuits and norms towards new forms of employment and empowerment, alteration in social relationships including intergroup and interpersonal relations, and cultural changes that involve the alteration of traditional institutions and the commutation of these with imported ones.Socio-cultural values of technology assimilation by young air jacket African immigrantsInformation technologies are two a by-product of the socio-cultural environment within which they evolve as well as a meaty and strategic sub-system of that environment (Elmandjra, 2001). McGinn (2006) explained that the significance of understanding a new cultural environment is to accept the invasion of technologies and their products or to opt for an active stand and for the elaboration of strategies and policies to ensure social relevance as well as cultural coherence. Steward (2009) believed that cultures do not change according to some inner logic, scarcely sort of in terms of a ever-changing relationship w ith a changing environment even with technology.Americanism and Social NetworksThe Internet has fundamentally changed our communication patterns in which peoples interactions are increasingly dependent on electronic communication channels and little confined by territorial reserve gaps. Such change has shrunk the distances between physical location significantly and thusly brought about a brand new view of space and season (Miller, 2002 Watson et al., 2002). As the need for adaptation of African immigrant children into American way of life continues, the need for study of the cross-cultural adoption and use of IT has been souring which is testify by the surging number of pertinent research papers print and presented. Computer networks have been used to support information and knowledge veer among geographically dispersed users and distributed social interactions(Ahuja et al., 2003).Social-cultural adaptation of modern communication toolsBlau (1964) showed that social exchange theory positing that individuals engage in social interaction because they remain to receive some type of reward whose form does not needs confine to monetary value but also emotional values including approval status and respect. Wasko et al. (2005) clarified bring forward that one potential way an individual can bene fit in from active interlocking is the perception that participation enhances his or her personal reputation in the society. Therefore, reputation, acceptance and status symbols are assets that young air jacket African immigrant can leverage to achieve and go for assimilation within a collective environment (Jones et al., 1997).RESEARCH methodologyThe research methodology consists of three phases to leverage the strengths of soft and quantitative methods. The first phase testament review extant research literature related to the influential factor of web-based social networks as a form of communication technology participation. The picture of the semiotics of cultural interaction will be evaluated as an adaptation process of young West African immigrants. The intent of this exercise will be to identify explanatory constructs from academic works across disciplines including social network theory, cultural dimensions, and individual direct technology acceptance as evidence amongst selected young West African immigrants to the United States.The second phase will allow tec to conduct in-depth wonders of young West African immigrants that meet the minimal requirements for web-based social network practise on one hand and other physical communication tools much(prenominal) as cell phones, blogging and multimedia. These interviews will be guided by a soft interview performer, which dribbles a series of open-ended questions for the interview process. By engaging in the interview will allow the researcher to further open fire driving factors of user adoption of two social networks and the social activity involved in the use of the phys ical communication tools.The final phase, along with indicators generated in phase one and two will allow researcher to gather selective information from these interviews to create a 100-page quantitative retrospect that will be distributed to a random population of young West African immigrant in 25 states in the United States of users of both social networks and communication tools. In this way, empirical evidence can be obtained through analyzing users ratings of indicators that pin direct the significance of social communication technology to acculturation of young West African American immigrants. The instrument will be subjected to field of study validity analysis, the sampling frame will be identified to enable the broadest generalization, and the instrument items will be assessed for discriminated validity.Work plan for info aggregationIn order to maintain both social and material properties, it is important to adopt a triangulation concept which could establish legitima te ground to cut down the methodological conflict between qualitative and quantitative research draw neares (Orlikowski and Robey 1991 Yin, 1994). McGrath (1982) confirm the use of both qualitative and quantitative method in three methodological dimensions namely generalizability, clearcutness and realism. investigator intends to incorporate the three dimensions in his research work plan for data ingathering.Sample Frame investigator intends to select research subjects before the research design can be carried out for data collection. The assay frame for pre-test and large scurf play along will be drawn from two distinct areas. The first will be from college students whose ages range between 17 to 24 in United States and new West African immigrants who recently won the DV Visa lottery. In order to justify using this frame, the researcher will revisit the focal issue of this research and explain how it would be difficult to conduct significant research without studying youn g west African immigrants who are both new and young web-based social communication tool users or adopters. information CollectionSince this research will include technology study, horizon and controlled taste are considered widely adopted to establish causal relationships between sight variables. Each of them bears advantages and disadvantages and it is contingent upon various factors to decide which one has better fit with the research context. Lyberg and Kasprizyk (1991) explained that expected quality of collected data, estimated costs, expected level of errors and length of the data collection period are major reasons for controlled experiment. Bailey (2002) agrees that this will explain why lab experiment are not as popularly used in social science as in other disciplines such(prenominal) as natural science. In addition to survey, other nitty-gritty analysis techniques including secondary data sources, archive data exploration, objective measures or tests, and semi- struct ure interviews are used to compensate for some limitations of quantitative data analysis.qualitative Data CollectionThe qualitative data collection to be used will range from interviews, noticeal techniques such as participant observation and fieldwork, through to archival research. Both primary and secondary sources of data will be used exclusively in this research. Insights into social networks and web-based communication tools will be generated based on a wide range of breakthrough of industrial reports, newspaper stories, national statistics and descriptive research. The primary sources of data will refer to those data which are unpublished and which the researcher has gathered from the subjects or organization directly. The interview process will involve interviewees from US and from 25 states primarily at selected colleges. Written permission will be obtained with the exercise for IRB approval from each college. The screening process will consider subjects commonalities and coherence of traits including culture, education and social communication tool activity in a web-based environment. Guidelines will also be incorporated into the interview design to elicit the subjective, contextual, and spontaneous information concerning web-based socializing activities and accordant use of modern communication tools.Quantitative Data CollectionSelltiz et al., (1976) explained that when using the explanatory survey approach that makes logical inferences from non-experimental data, the researcher does not need to manipulate predicting variables or make assignment of groups because the variables are observed in their natural settings. Newsted et al., (1996) further clarified that epistemologically, surveys provide one way of obtaining and validating knowledge and raised the question whether surveys had outlived their usefulness and concluded that surveys are appropriate in certain conditions and little useful in others.Selltiz et al. (1976) argued that an explana tory survey is applicable when studying mixed social phenomena in which causal patterns contain triple factors and more than one predicting variable is put in. Cronbach (1971) explained that the main purpose of conducting the survey is to move from observations to theory establishment by using an instrument that captures prerequisite data in an unsophisticated manner. It is suggested that by doing this will require a clear understanding of the concepts of constructs and their relationships which are important to make sense of homo behavior involving information systems use.Scales incrementThe researcher will use psychometric response cuticles, a five point Likert scale will be selected Strong discord/Disagree/Neutral/Agree/Strongly Agree. researcher chose this type of response scale because of its good balance between parsimonious design and room of response. researcher did not use the most popular wider range of scale such 7 or 10 because of its ambiguity in transformati on data. Dawes (2008) found that data from 5-level, 7-level and 10-level items showed very similar characteristics in terms of mean, variance, skewness and kurtosis later a simple transformation was applied. He further explained the lack of precision regarding the differences between somewhat disagree and somewhat agree. Dawes (2008) further clarified that in order to avoid response bias which poses challenges in collecting trenchant data that accurately reflect the social facts, it is important to use a scale with balanced keying, such as a five point scale that has an equal number of positive and negative statements which can justify the problem of acquiescence bias because acquiescence on positively key out items will balance acquiescence on negatively keyed items (pg. 79).Proposed petertec will cover three general areas of structuration theory of interaction of groups and organizations with information technology called Adaptive Structuration Theory and pertinent hypothesis are rooted in research literature of IS and socio-cultural theories that would help to answer the research questions suggested in this research. The areas to be covered will include the use of technology and social communication tools, social behavior motivation to acculturation and cultural conflict influence of the immigrantsPretest police detective will engage in pretest which refers to a research process/experiment that precedes a full scale study to examine whether operational constructs or variables are appropriate for further analysis. Researcher will use various forms of experiments and aims to replicate the formal experiment but on a smaller scale. Hunt et al., (1982)An important rule of finger in conducting pretest is to use sampling subjects whohave the closest characteristics with those of full scale data collection. For this research,both groups of college students and DV lottery winners in the U.S. will be selected to cut the questionnaire to provide further feedbac ks in terms of appropriateness of items, length of time required to finish, and overlooked dimensions. This feedback will be considered in the process of finalizing the instrument that will be distributed to a large scale sample send. The research methodology will also include content validity, measure equivalence, common methods bias, and non-response bias.DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONSResearcher will describe data collection procedures and also present data analysis results using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Researcher also plans to use supportive empirical conclusion which will be explained along with how statistical assumptions are satisfied. These statistical evidences will be used to examine any hypotheses generated from literature study and inferences. Researcher will also provide both descriptive and interpretive data analysis using the structural equation modeling techniques. Researcher will also answer most research questions from a confirmatory perspect ive, relate theoretic assumptions and conclusions and completes the research methodologyQualitative Data AnalysisResearcher will use narrative style and open ended interview questions rather than retrieving answers based on fixed options multiple choices. Shim et al., (2002) explained that qualitative data can reveal the realism aspect of investigated subjects. So this section will be used to interpret perceived data obtained from interviewees in a focus group environment method Description Focus gatheringResearcher believed that it is important to understand what motivates subjects of this research and the understanding of user behavior in the use of social communication network and tool when they reclaim themselves in a different cultural environment. Researcher will use focus group method by selecting a group of interviewees (in this case, less than 30), which consist of individuals that meet the pre-screening requirements (Morgan 1998). The group will participate in the disc ussion whose topic is designated by the researcher. As a validated approach in behavioral sciences, focus groups are administered in US. All participants are selected social network and communication tools users including rejecters (used Social network and communication tools and decided to demote usage). Researcher intends to have a table list of profile of interviewees in the United States.Quantitative Data AnalysisResearcher will contemplate perceptional data statistically to discover interesting patterns hidden behind human behaviors. Respondents will be asked to report their true opinions according to a structured survey that contains items generated in literature review and qualitative data analysis.Method Description Large Scale SurveyLee (1999) argued that surveys are particularly useful in determining the actual values and interactions of variables. Researcher will use an approach which would be seen to have the following strengths compared to interpretive methods, it wi ll be easy to administer it will determine the values and relations of variables and constructs generalizability and replicability will also be tested it will be qualified of testing theoretical propositions in an objective fashion. Selltiz et al. (1976) argued that an explanatory survey should be adopted when studying complicated social phenomena in which causal patterns contain multiple factors and more than one predicting variable is found.Cronbach (1971) emphasized that the main purpose of conducting the surveys is to move from observations to theory validation by using an instrument that captures necessary data in an unbiased manner. Researcher will use both paper based and web based survey instrument. The selection of sample subjects will be strictly based on how well the characteristics of the target population can be represented.Data Collection AnalysisResearcher will use analysis that would demonstrate respondents social background that is consistent with the research des ign, namely, young African immigrants with appropriate social network and communication tool use experience. Researcher will also use a pilot study that will examine initial content validity of the collected data. Straub (1989) explained that non-response bias is a major threat to the validity of the survey method.Demographic StatisticsResearcher will use a demographic statistics of respondents that are categorized in four dimensions age, gender, web or Internet experience and modern communication tools. Researcher will use high level of homogeneity of domestic nature within one group young west African immigrants and a high level of heterogeneity across groupsgeomorphologic Equation ModelingResearcher will use the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) which is a statistical technique widely used in social science research. Byrne (2006) indicated that this consists of two major parts a measurement model and a structural model. This technique is similar to multiple regressions however, SEM is a powerful technique in constructing and examining causal relationships using measurement error and model fitness. The justification for using SEM is that it employs a confirmatory rather than exploratory approach to test models. Therefore, it is an ideal selection for theory tab instead of development, even though in reality SEM does carry some exploratory nature. Chin (2008) suggested that SEM enables IT researchers to achieve the goals including evaluate and control measurement model errors of latent variables, simultaneous analysis of multiple paths relationships, and flexibility of testing theoretical assumptions.DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONSThe core issue of research is to examine how the use of Internet social communication networks like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and modern communication technologies like smart-phones instant messages, multimedia (online gaming), blogging and discussion forums called Social Activity, have impacted the acculturation process of young Af rican immigrants(18-25 years) to the nation. Most of the research questions are expected to be answered in this research and findings discussed to explain different related behaviors in acculturation of young west African immigrants. Using mixed methods of both qualitative and quantitative, the researcher will be able to reveal context-oriented insights that are attendant empirical findings which are statistically inferred to large population of samples. With this in mind, researcher will divide the discussion of findings into two aspects of quantitative and qualitative including further justifications of research methodology, the implications of these findings, future research directions and conclusions.