Online participation, social isolation, biculturalism, and empowerment: a virtual ethnography of Kenyan diaspora women living in North America
Creators: name: Orwenyo, Evalyne Kerubo
Publisher: name: No Publisher Supplied
Year: 2020

description: This virtual ethnography was conducted in two online communities on Facebook, a popular social media platform comprising of Kenyan diaspora women residing in Canada and the United States of America. The author used a convergent, parallel mixed-methods approach to investigate whether and how online communities provided a pathway for reducing social isolation, attaining biculturalism, and exercising empowerment. The quantitative research questions tested the hypothesized directions, magnitudes, and relationships of the following variables: online participation, positive acculturation (biculturalism), empowerment, opportunity role structure, sense of community, and social isolation. The qualitative research questions explored participants’ perceptions of the relationships between the variables mentioned above. The author applied a postcolonial theoretical framework, among others, to contest the generalizations of African immigrant women, valorize their unique cultural identity, and demonstrate the expanded notions of civic participation. Quantitative data were collected using validated modified scales (n = 287) and analyzed using path analysis. Qualitative data were collected using systematic observations (n = approx. 18,000) and semi-structured interviews (n = 39) and analyzed using discourse analysis and thematic analysis, respectively. The final output model was a good fit for data X2 (4) = 5.42, p = .25; CFI = .997; NFI = .987; TLI = .987; RMSEA = .035. Findings from systematic observations indicated that salient topics in online interactions included acculturation, managing relationships, social support, among others. Findings from semi-structured interviews revealed descriptive categories and themes such as varied motivations for joining the online community, empowerment, benefits, and drawbacks of online participation, etc. Overall, the results from the qualitative and quantitative analyses were consistent. The findings supported existing theories of empowerment, sense of community, and opportunity role structure but indicated the need to redefine acculturation theory. Overall, participants’ acknowledgment of their social isolation predicted positive acculturation (biculturalism), empowerment, and a sense of community. Online participation and opportunity role structure mediated the relationship between social isolation and biculturalism, empowerment, and sense of community. Despite apparent social inequities, participants perceived online communities as serving a utilitarian role in countering perceived social isolation, increasing access to information, and as a source of emotional support. The online communities demonstrated the heterogeneity of Kenyan diaspora women whose complexity cannot be reduced to generalized simplifications. Future research should focus on how to collaborate with online participants in digital activism for social justice and humanitarian assistance efforts. To ascertain civil discourse, online community administrators should institute rules for engagement. This study contributes knowledge to Africana Studies, Diaspora Studies, Social Work, New Media Studies, and Women and gender studies. Social Work curriculum should incorporate virtual ethnography as a research method because it presents a practical and useful way of learning about communities. After all, in present-day, online communities have become universal for people with access to the internet.