Learning From Navigating Diverse Worlds: The Networked Online Relationships of Immigrant and Native Youth in the Netherlands

• In Event: Digital Literacies and Mobility in Migrant Communities: Studying Youth Practices and Learning Across Spaces

Abstract

New information technologies allow us to form networks that are socially and spatially diversified, to tune into specific individual interests and ambitions irrespective of geographical distance or local bonds communities. Our abilities to connect become more individualized and happen at a diversity of scales (Rainie & Wellman, 2012). As a consequence, the social worlds of youth have become increasingly diverse and the possibilities they are offered to become literate and learn, continue to expand. Scholars of education have argued that, given these developments, multi- and cross-disciplinary expertise will be a key competence in our post-modern society and will likely move up in the educational agenda (Lankshear and Knobel, 2003; Suàrez-Orozco & Qin-Hilliard, 2004; Gardner, 2004). Others have shown that these more largely distributed networks provide youth with a diversity of languages and cultural codes which offer unique opportunities to learn and become literate (Lam, 2004; Author 1 and 2, in press). However, there is little empirical evidence of how youth make use of this potential, and how this might also differ between groups. In this comparative study we ask how the online networks of three different ethnic groups in the Netherlands provide ‘new’ socio-cultural life worlds and what this means for their learning and literacy competencies. In particular, we ask how their specific network configurations allow them to develop cross-spatial and cross-cultural competences.

The research sample consisted of 79 participants aged 13-17 (M=14.6, S.d.=1.5), divided over Turkish-descendant (31.6%), Moroccan-descendant (36.7%) and native Dutch (31.6%), with 1760 network contacts in total. Ego-network interviews were conducted to map the networks of each of the participants. This methodology was applied to map the different relationships, the resources and learning opportunities these provide. Apart from mapping the (configuration of their) networks, in-depth information was gathered concerning the different communities in their networks, the kind of learning opportunities these networks provide, as well as on how the distribution of their networks demanded specific (cross-cultural or cross-linguistic) competencies.

The results showed that their online networks were largely homogeneous in terms of ethnicity, gender and age, were relatively dense and consisted of people they were also connected with locally. However, key differences were evident in how the groups organized their networks and used them for information gathering and learning. These particular online network configurations seem heavily impacted by offline dynamics, such as particular ethnic affiliations. Whereas the Dutch youngsters typically used nationally dispersed networks to form specialized interest communities, the migrant groups typically developed (trans)national, family or ethnically based networks. Likewise, the results show how these networked configurations press youth to develop particular boundary crossing competences, such as the ability to handle multiple points of reference, or to be able to speak multiple languages in order to address and move between different audiences.

These results support a stance on opportunities to learn for youth that consider new and rich possibilities with social networking technologies, yet it shows the need to design learning networks that traverse ethnicity, gender and age groupings.

Authors

• Mariette Haan De, Utrecht University

• Kevin M. Leander, Vanderbilt University