Use of Media by Indian Diaspora Students in Australia and New Zealand - Research Proposal

Introduction

Over the recent years, the population of international students is significantly increasing in the Asia Pacific. The Indian Diaspora setting is amongst the recent ones as they settle in New Zealand and Australia. The involvement of the new and extensive emerging Diaspora communities and ethnic media is one of the fields of research that have stirred different occurrences especially with the increasing availability and presence of Pacific Diaspora media all over the Asia Pacific nations. Following the various developments, the contemporary attitudes have shaped the identity of what has acquired the definition as "the new Indian Diaspora" compared to the early nineteenth century (Bernau, S. 2005, 134). However, the social media has been the essential instruments used mainly by the Indian international students as they related with each other along with keeping the communication with their natives. The increasing population of Indian Diasporas in New Zealand and Australia is as a result of education and migration as a majority of the Indian students apply for permanent residency.

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However, the drive to research on this topic settles on the different factors about Diaspora, media, and identities. One of the elements involves the occurrence where international students concerning social media are not using Face-book but other platforms to ensure they are heard. In most of the cases, the information is aimed to be heard in both their native countries and their current locations, along with other sectors in the world which have been made possible by the use of social media. Moreover, another factor that triggered me relates to a research by Baas (2013) delivering that a majority of Indians are migrating to Australia especially the IT students who are more so in search for greener pastures providing the implicating that there might be other occurrence triggering the growth of Indian Diaspora in Australia and New Zealand.

Research Questions

A high number of research findings have been done on the migration of Indian students, challenges they face as Diasporas, and the occurrences in Diasporas. There is much less research examining the use of social media among the Indian Diaspora in New Zealand and Australia. The topic on social media use among the Indian Diaspora will be the primary focus of the paper with the research questions including:

1. How are the Indian Diaspora students in Australia using the media?
2. What are social media platforms the Diasporas using?
3. Which is the trend, major, focus, and developments with the significant issues that Diasporas are communicating about?

Methodology

Since the research concerns the activities of a specified collection of individuals in comparison to available theories on Diaspora, media, and identities, the use of qualitative methods of analysis will deliver significant information. The primary reason for conducting a qualitative approach of research is based on the need to acquire to ensure the flexibility of study since the data is not solely based on numbers but on the activities along with the fact that Diaspora communities form a minority group of the population. The sample population will include different participants; more so Indian students in Australia and New Zealand.

Also, I will ensure proper circulation of information where more students can participate by filling out online questionnaires. On the other hand, the main instrument in the study will be based on interviews (open-ended question) to ensure the participants can elaborate more on each issue with ease. The discussions will majorly seek to answer the question regarding the trends and developments about the use of media by the Indian Diaspora in Australia.

Baas (2013) researched the growth of Indian students in Australia and delivered a precise study on the reasons for migration. In the survey, Bass includes more details concerning the various occurrences that are ensuring the sustainability of the Indian Diaspora in Australia especially by analyzing it theoretically and in practice (Baas, M. 2006, 13).

Kaul (2009) conducted a research on the migration of Indians into Australia and New Zealand delivering that there are better conditions in comparison to the Diaspora life in the early nineteenth century. According to the research, there are much more benefits as a result of the transnational network giving them the opportunity to link across the globe (Kaul, M. 2009, 187).

Saw, Abbott, Donaghey and McDonald (2013) provided research focusing on the use of networking sites among international students. Within the research project, they offered different occurrences and happening to cover the involvement of social media in the students and particularly on migrants forming the Diaspora minorities in the Asia Pacific (Saw et al., 2013).

Conclusion

To sum everything up, the Indian Students in particular sustain their cultural and political connections across the globe through the utilization of media. For instance, Diaspora minority communities are using the media in different and complex ways which help them feedback on their sense of political and cultural belonging (Siapera, E. 2014, 173-178). Moreover, a large number of individuals have formed various Diaspora groups around the world primarily as islanders and Pacific people (Georgiou, M. 2006). As a result of the transnational nature of the Diaspora groups, communities including the Pacific Islands communities deliver a high dependency on the media and communication for sustainability within themselves and with their host societies.

References

Baas, M., 2013. In-between: the (dis) connection between here and there. The case of Indian student-migrants in Australia. Conserveries memorielles. Revue transdisciplinary, (13). Available at: https://journals.openedition.org/cm/1468

Bernau, S., 2005. The Chinese and Indian Diasporas in New Zealand: an oral history project. New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies, 7(1), p.134.

Georgiou, M., 2006. Diaspora, identity and the media: Diasporic transnationalism and mediated spatialities. Hampton Press. Cresskill, N.J., United States. ISBN 1572737247

Kaul, M.M., 2009. The Indian diaspora in Australia and New Zealand: Challenges and the way forward. Diaspora Studies, 2.2 pp.187-201. DOI: 10.1080/09739572.2009.10597336

Saw, G., Abbott, W., Donaghey, J. and McDonald, C., 2013. Social media for international students-it's not all about Facebook. Library Management, 34(3), pp.156-174. ISSN 0143-5124

Siapera, E., 2014. Diasporas and new media: Connections, identities, politics, and effect. Crossings: Journal of Migration & Culture, 5(1), pp.173-178.