Type of Document	Thesis
Author	Kim, Min Jeong
URN	etd-04152010-210138
Title	Acculturation Motives and Use of the Internet among Chinese and Korean International Students in the U.S.
Degree	Master of Arts
Department	Communication, School of; Communication Science and Disorders, School of; and the Library and Inform
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Stephen D. McDowell Committee Chair Felecia F. Jordan-Jackson Committee Member Ulla Bunz Committee Member
Keywords	Information Seeking Internet Activities Acculturation Motives Social Utility Internet Activities In-depth Interviews
Date of Defense	2010-03-30
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The current investigation explores how acculturation motives are reflected in Internet use among Chinese and Korean international students. The purposes of this study are two- fold. The primary goal is to help understand the way Internet activities are associated with acculturation motives. The secondary purpose is to explore how acculturation motives are fulfilled in two different type of Internet usage: English-language and native-language Internet. Acculturation motives are examined in terms of acquisition of new traits and maintenance of the heritage culture. This research employs acculturation theories and the uses and theoretical gratification perspectives to studying Internet use and acculturation motives. Following the nature of the study, in-depth interviews and observations were employed to examine the Internet use of thirteen Chinese and Korean international students in the United States. The study demonstrates that participants used the Internet the most for communication within the local communities and the home countries. Internet communication plays an important role in fulfilling acculturation motives in complementing limited interpersonal communications and in acquisition of social support. Socially active international students were more involved in the social utility of Internet activities, such as Facebook or instant messengers. Another important finding of this work revealed that there was no distinguishing difference in using English-language or native-language Internet, when it comes to acquisition of new traits and maintenance of the heritage culture. Unlike other traditional mass media, the linguistic and cultural nature of each Internet type was not closely related to fulfilling acculturation motives.
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