When Social Support Fits into your Luggage: Online Support Seeking and its Effects on the Traditional Study Abroad Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v21i1.302Keywords:
Study abroad, Education abroad, Internet-mediated social support, Online communicationAbstract
In a study abroad context, the maintenance of dual on and offline personas provides students with the opportunity to demolish communication barriers with the home culture created by geographic distance. Conversely, online communication may help bring down communication barriers created by linguistic and cultural differences, providing students with exciting opportunities for face-to-face social interaction with host nationals. Yet, very little is known about how students are using the Internet in the development or maintenance of social support networks during study abroad. The goal of the present research project is to understand how Internet-mediated support complements, supplements or supplants traditional support seeking and how online support seeking leads to changes in the traditional study abroad experience. In this article, I will present relevant literature on the subjects of acculturative stress, social coping, and Internet-mediated social support in order to ground the research question and study findings.
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References
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Ward, C., & Kennedy, A. (1994). Acculturation strategies, psychological adjustment, and sociocultural competence during cross-cultural transitions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 18 (3), 329-343.
Wethington, E. & Kessler, R. (1986). Perceived Support, Received Support and Adjustment to Stressful Life Events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 27(1), 78-89.
Baym, N.K., Zhang, Y.B., & Lin, M. (2004). Social interactions across media. New Media & Society, 6, 299-318.
Berry, J. (1997). Immigration, Acculturation, and Adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46(1), 5-68.
Bolger, N., Zuckerman, A., & Kessier, R. (2000). Invisible support and adjustment to stress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 953-961.
Burke, M., Kraut, R., and Williams, D. (2010). Social use of computer-mediated communication by adults on the autism spectrum. ACM CSCW 2010: Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, 425-434.
Church, A. (1982). Sojourner Adjustment. Psychological Bulletin, 91, 540-572.
Cobb, S. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 38(5), 300-314.
Cohen, S. & Wills, T. (1985). Stress, Social Support, and the Buffering Hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310-357.
Dimmick, J., Ramirez, J., Wang, T., & Lin, S. (2007). ‘Extending society’: the role of personal networks and gratification-utilities in the use of interactive communication media. New Media Society, 9, 795-810.
Gorka, B. & Niesenbaum, R. (2001). Beyond the Language Requrirement: Interdisciplinary Short-Term Study-Abroad Programs in Spanish. Hispania, 84 (1), 100-109.
Gullahorn, J. T., & Gullahorn, J. E. (1963). An Extension of the U-Curve Hypothesis. Journal of Social Issues, 19(3), 33-47.
Hammer, M. (1981). Social Supports, Social Networks, and Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 7(1), 45-57.
Hampton, K., & Wellman, B. (2003). Neighboring in Netville: How the Internet Supports Community and Social Capital in a Wired Suburb. City & Community, 2(4), 277-311.
Kraut, R., M. Patterson, V. Lundmark, S. Kiesler, T. Mukhopadhyay and W. Scherlis (1998) ‘Internet Paradox: a Social Technology that
Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well-being?’, American Psychologist 53(9): 1017–31.
Leung, L. (2007). Stressful Life Events, Motives for Internet Use, and Social Support Among Digital Kids. Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 10, 204-214.
Lysgaard, S. (1955). Adjustment in a Foreign Society: Norwegian Fulbright Grantees Visiting the United States. International Social Science Bulletin, 7, 45-51.
Malik, S. & Coulson, N. (2008). Computer mediated infertility supportgroups: An exploratory study of online experiences. Patient Education and Counseling, 105-113.
McKenna, K. Y., & Green, A. S. (2002). Virtual Group Dynamics. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. Special Issue: Groups and Internet, 6(1), 116-127.
McKenna, K. Y., Green, A. S., & Gleason, M. E. (2002). Relationship formation on the Internet: What’s the big attraction? Journal of Social Issues. Special Issue: Consequences of the Internet for self and society: Is social life being transformed? 58(1), 9-31.
McKinlay, N. J., Pattison, M., & Gross, H. (1996). An Exploratory Investigation of the Effects of a Cultural Orientation Programme on the Psychological Well-Being of International University Students. Higher Education, 31(3), 379- 395.
Oberg, K. (1960). Culture shock: adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical Anthropology, 7, 177-182.
Papacharissi, Z., & Rubin, A. (2000). Predictors of Internet Use. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 44 (2), 175-196.
Putnam, D. E. (2000). Initiation and maintenance of online sexual compulsivity: Implications for assessment and treatment. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 3(4), 553-563.
Raake, J., & Bonds-Raake, J. (2008). MySpace and Facebook: Applying the Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11 (2), 169-174.
Robinson, J. P., Kestnbaum, M., Neustadtl, A., & Alvarez, A. (2000). Mass media use and social life among Internet users. Social Science Computer Review. Special Issue: Survey and statistical computing in new millennium, 18(4), 490-501.
Roth, S., & Cohen, L.J. (1986). Approach, Avoidance, and Coping with Stress. American Psychologist, 813-819.
Shaw, L.H., & Grant, L.M. (2002). In Defense of the Internet: The relationship between Internet Communication and Depression,
Loneliness, Self-esteem and Perceived Social Support. Cyberpsychology, 5(2), 157-171.
Stone, L. (2009). Continuous Partial Attention. Retrieved on February 21, 2010 from http://lindastone.net/qa/continuous-partial-attention/.
Subrahmanyam, K., Reich, S., Waechter, N. & Espinoza, G. (2008). Online and offline social networks: use of social networking sites by emerging adults. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29, 420-433.
Thoits, P.A. (1985). Social Support and Psychological Well-Being: Theoretical Possibilities. In Sarason, I.G. & Sarason, B.R. (Eds.), Social Support: Theory, Research, and Applications. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhof.
Turner, R. J., Frankel, B.G., & Levin, D.M. (1983). Social support, Conceptualization, measurement, and implications for mental health.
Research in Community and Mental Health, 3, 67-111.
Ward, C., & Kennedy, A. (1994). Acculturation strategies, psychological adjustment, and sociocultural competence during cross-cultural transitions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 18 (3), 329-343.
Wethington, E. & Kessler, R. (1986). Perceived Support, Received Support and Adjustment to Stressful Life Events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 27(1), 78-89.
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Published
2011-08-15
How to Cite
Mikal, J. (2011). When Social Support Fits into your Luggage: Online Support Seeking and its Effects on the Traditional Study Abroad Experience. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 21(1), 17–40. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v21i1.302
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