"Our families back home don't understand, our parents definitely don't understand and my Swedish friends could never understand." : Social media and the transnational activities of second-generation Bosnian Croats in Sweden
(2023) MKVM13 20231Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- The question whether transnational activities can be continued by migrants' children, the second-generation, has been a discussed topic within the field of transnationalism. Being born into one cultural setting while raised in another calls into question the extent of their involvement in diverse transnational activities. This generation of immigrants, more than any other generation, need scholarly attention, as "they embody the tensions and contradictions that immigrants must negotiate." (Rahman, 2021, p. 271). Moreover, in the context of today's society, technologies continue to play one of the most central roles in shaping and sustaining these transnational social fields, making the link between migrants and media integral.
The purpose... (More) - The question whether transnational activities can be continued by migrants' children, the second-generation, has been a discussed topic within the field of transnationalism. Being born into one cultural setting while raised in another calls into question the extent of their involvement in diverse transnational activities. This generation of immigrants, more than any other generation, need scholarly attention, as "they embody the tensions and contradictions that immigrants must negotiate." (Rahman, 2021, p. 271). Moreover, in the context of today's society, technologies continue to play one of the most central roles in shaping and sustaining these transnational social fields, making the link between migrants and media integral.
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how second-generation immigrants engage in transnational activities, specifically that of maintaining interpersonal relationships as well as identity negotiations, through social media. Particularly, this thesis examines the transnational activities of second-generation Bosnian Croats in Sweden, guided by a theoretical framework consisting of diasporic audience, polymedia, as well as hybrid identity. It explores the ways in which these individuals engage and navigate their transnational ties and cultural expressions through the use of social media, providing a thorough comprehension of their experiences within the Swedish context. Utilizing both literature review as well as empirical evidence acquired from 14 semi-structured interviews, this study looks into the experiences within these two phenomena of these second-generation immigrants.
While some similarities were found amongst the participants on the surface level, this thesis found that each individual's transnational experiences are guided by multiple factors. When it comes to their interpersonal relationships, while social media creates new opportunities for communication and connection for these individuals, this study further suggests that these individuals are making strategic decisions to maximize the potential of living a transnational life. When it comes to their identities, this thesis suggests that social media play a key role in helping shape their identities, regardless of the extent of their hybridity. Drawing on a variety of diverse cultural resources and engaging in intricate processes of negotiation within these online spaces, the second-generation Bosnian Croats in this thesis are able to express their multifaceted identities at different extents.
transnationalism, social media, second-generation immigrants, interpersonal relationships, hybrid identities, diasporic-audiences (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9114402
- author
- Mirkovic, Viktoria LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- transnationalism, social media, second-generation immigrants, interpersonal relationships, hybrid identities, diasporic-audiences
- language
- English
- id
- 9114402
- date added to LUP
- 2023-06-09 15:26:19
- date last changed
- 2023-06-09 15:26:19
@misc{9114402,
abstract = {{The question whether transnational activities can be continued by migrants' children, the second-generation, has been a discussed topic within the field of transnationalism. Being born into one cultural setting while raised in another calls into question the extent of their involvement in diverse transnational activities. This generation of immigrants, more than any other generation, need scholarly attention, as "they embody the tensions and contradictions that immigrants must negotiate." (Rahman, 2021, p. 271). Moreover, in the context of today's society, technologies continue to play one of the most central roles in shaping and sustaining these transnational social fields, making the link between migrants and media integral.
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how second-generation immigrants engage in transnational activities, specifically that of maintaining interpersonal relationships as well as identity negotiations, through social media. Particularly, this thesis examines the transnational activities of second-generation Bosnian Croats in Sweden, guided by a theoretical framework consisting of diasporic audience, polymedia, as well as hybrid identity. It explores the ways in which these individuals engage and navigate their transnational ties and cultural expressions through the use of social media, providing a thorough comprehension of their experiences within the Swedish context. Utilizing both literature review as well as empirical evidence acquired from 14 semi-structured interviews, this study looks into the experiences within these two phenomena of these second-generation immigrants.
While some similarities were found amongst the participants on the surface level, this thesis found that each individual's transnational experiences are guided by multiple factors. When it comes to their interpersonal relationships, while social media creates new opportunities for communication and connection for these individuals, this study further suggests that these individuals are making strategic decisions to maximize the potential of living a transnational life. When it comes to their identities, this thesis suggests that social media play a key role in helping shape their identities, regardless of the extent of their hybridity. Drawing on a variety of diverse cultural resources and engaging in intricate processes of negotiation within these online spaces, the second-generation Bosnian Croats in this thesis are able to express their multifaceted identities at different extents.
transnationalism, social media, second-generation immigrants, interpersonal relationships, hybrid identities, diasporic-audiences}},
author = {{Mirkovic, Viktoria}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{"Our families back home don't understand, our parents definitely don't understand and my Swedish friends could never understand." : Social media and the transnational activities of second-generation Bosnian Croats in Sweden}},
year = {{2023}},
}