A Study on the Effectiveness of We-Media as a Platform for Intercultural Communication

This chapter evaluates effectiveness of We-media on immigration issues in China. Guided by Cultural Communication Theory as theoretical framework and Cultural Discourse Analysis as analytic procedure, we delve into identity construction of foreign users and study the relationship implied with meanings of identities. Results show that foreign users are identified with nationalities on cultural level, as immigrant on social level, and as Internet celebrity on personal level. Cultural and social level identity emphasis the differences between foreigners and Chinese, therefore exclude immigrants as Cultural Others from Chinese society; personal level identity helps generating share meanings and discourses of popular culture with Chinese users, and situate foreign users as one of Cultural Us in We-media community. However, it is a conditional inclusion outside mainstream culture in Chinese society. In a nutshell, we propose that intercultural communication on We-media can help immigrants well blend into certain online community, but it might not contribute as much on immigration integration.