Making sense of a foreign culture through technology: Triggers, mechanisms, and introspective focus in newcomers’ blogs

• Published in: International journal of intercultural relations Vol. 54; pp. 15 - 20
• Main Authors: Nardon, Luciara, Aten, Kathryn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Brunswick Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2016; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Acculturation; Blogs; Cross cultural studies; Cultural identity; Cultural relations; Culture and technology; Discrepancies; Emotions; Expatriate adjustment; Foreign culture; Immigrants; Information gathering; Internet; Introspection; Learning; Narrative; Newcomers; Qualitative methods; Sensemaking; Social psychology; Technology; Canada; Culture and technology; Expatriate adjustment; Qualitative methods; Sensemaking; Narrative; Blogs
• ISSN: 0147-1767; 1873-7552
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2016.06.002

This study explored the blogs of newcomers to Canada to investigate the role of blogging in newcomers’ efforts to make sense of a foreign culture. We describe the phenomenon of sensemaking in blogging and identify triggers, mechanisms, and introspective focus of cultural sensemaking in newcomers’ blogs. Our study contributes to research on intercultural learning by supporting the argument that blogs are a promising site for intercultural studies. We also extend this discussion by demonstrating that sensemaking in and through blogging is an important phenomenon deserving study as a research subject and showing that (1) newcomers use blogs to make sense of discrepancies triggered by experiences, observation of patterns and temporal milestones, (2) newcomers make sense through self-debating, making comparisons to the home country, sequencing, and reflecting on information-gathering, and (3) bloggers focus introspection during sensemaking on their thoughts and emotions.