Abstract
This paper looks at migrant communities all over the world and the way they utilise the affordances of social media platforms to stay connected with family back home, build community and retain culture. Drawing upon two ethnographic studies from migrants seeking asylum in Germany and the Netherlands, the paper analyses to what extent social media platforms have helped migrants bridge geographic and spatial boundaries. The discussion concludes that social media has mitigated the Read more [...]
Abstract
Modern families no longer actively choose to live close to one another with work, schooling and many other factors driving the predilection for moving away from parents and siblings to secure better employment or achieve lifestyle goals rather than opt for the security of a close - by physical community. This change in community living has impacted seniors that are mostly the ones left behind as their children move away, they retire from work, and potentially Read more [...]
Abstract
As online platforms are constantly being created and utilised globally, their ability to foster meaningful communities has become stronger points of discussion due to their ability to enhance, and in some cases become place holders for real life communities. This tendency to attract, build and maintain various communities can be attributed to the characteristic of ‘third places’, an idea coined by Ray Oldenburg, present in many online platforms. These third places are what Oldernburg Read more [...]