Barry, Wail A. and Bouvier, Gwen
(2011)
Cross-cultural
Communication: Arab
and Welsh students’ use
of Facebook.
Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, 4 (2&3).
pp. 165-184.
ISSN 1751-9411
Abstract
This study focuses on the major sociocultural attributes of communication via
Facebook in two different geographical settings. It identifies cross-cultural differences
among two different student cohorts in the UAE and the UK.
Sociocultural specificities were addressed by means of quantitative surveying
complemented by qualitative interviewing. The social information processing
(SIP) theory and Geerte Hofstede theory of ‘cultural dimensions’ represented the
epistemological framework for the study.
The findings indicate that although the users shared similar responses in terms
of their preferences and uses, the study shows that they differ in certain key points
related to online behaviour and communication modes (e.g. preferences for contacting
friends), conceptualization of Facebook (an extension to university life or a portal to
the world) and issues of privacy (expressing oneself openly). These deviations reflect
essentially a cultural dissimilarity, which is a core point of the study. Communication scholars are encouraged to study the research implications of
new media, especially regarding differences in culture, as it represents a new avenue
in the genre of media studies.
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