Immigration in Rural Newfoundland: Individual and Community Change Willow Jackson Anderson
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University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Communication ETDs Electronic Theses and Dissertations 7-1-2012 Immigration in rural Newfoundland: Individual and community change Willow Jackson Anderson Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds Recommended Citation Jackson Anderson, Willow. "Immigration in rural Newfoundland: Individual and community change." (2012). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cj_etds/30 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Communication ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Willow Jackson Anderson Candidate Communication and Journalism Department This dissertation is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication: Approved by the Dissertation Committee: Karen A. Foss, Chairperson John G. Oeztel Pam Lutgen-Sandvik Magdalena Avila i IMMIGRATION IN RURAL NEWFOUNDLAND: INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY CHANGE BY WILLOW JACKSON ANDERSON B.A. Political Science and History, Mount Allison University, 1996 M.A. Conflict Resolution, University of Bradford, 1999 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Communication The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico July, 2012 ii DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this work to two of my nieces, (my muses), Kaia and Madeline Jackson-Perez and their Uncle Dave. Kaia and Madeline: Thank you for the fun sleepovers, dramatic dance routines, and loads of (fun) book reading. May you flourish and grow and always be confident in your place. Dave, I would not have survived this process unscathed without you. Thank you for taking on more than your fair share these last four years, for insisting we get a dog, and for your unwavering support and love. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I cannot express how appreciative I am of all those who helped me through this process, but please know that I am and that I wish for you as much luck and support as I have had as I navigated the sometimes stormy waters of the PhD. Thank you to: My captains: Dr. John G. Oeztel and Dr. Karen A. Foss Their fellow officers: Dr. Magdalena Avila and Dr. Pam Lutgen-Sandvik My whole family: Jacksons, Andersons, Perezes, Dexters, and Marks, but particularly my parents, Lawrence and Laura, who taught me by example to be respectful, curious, and passionate about rural Newfoundland and Labrador, communication, and cultural diversity. The “relief” crew: In Canada: Paula Strickland (for outstanding cheerleading), Natalie Slawinski, Brian Feltham, Janet MacDonald and Bill Stone (for fun meals and cat watching); and Leah Lewis (for always listening and understanding even during her own trials). In the U.S.A.: Elizabeth A. Dickinson (for incredible mentorship), Jack Condon (for making me feel so at home in NM), Anjana Mudambi (for her inspiring dedication and lovely saucy self), and Consolata Nthemba Mutua (for endless conversations and laughs). The shore crew: Jorge Geronimo-VanSlyke, Norma Rowsell Elliott, Erin Holland, Nicole Searwar Bishop, and René for their invaluable assistance. The Rural Secretariat (Bruce Gilbert, Ken Carter, and the advisory group) for your support and advice. And to all the participants who took the time to speak to me. Finally, a huge thank you to David Miles Anderson: the only real sailor amongst us. iv IMMIGRATION IN RURAL NEWFOUNDLAND: INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY CHANGE by WILLOW JACKSON ANDERSON B.A. Political Science and History, Mount Allison University, 1996 M.A. Conflict Resolution, University of Bradford, 1999 Ph.D. Communication, The University of New Mexico, 2012 ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to learn about the cultural adaptation experiences of immigrants to rural Newfoundland and what, if any, changes the communities themselves have made. I am particularly interested in what role communication plays in these change processes. To investigate this topic I conducted interviews and focus groups with both immigrants and native-born Newfoundlanders in rural areas and then analyzed the resulting data with a rigorous thematic analysis. To accomplish this purpose, I recruited and interviewed eight immigrants and 10 native-born Newfoundlanders in rural areas of the province. Then I conducted three focus groups with each of the two populations. In speaking to these 55 participants, I explored the substance and nature of their cultural adaptation and the communication that is helping and hindering it. The results reveal multiple dimensions that characterize the experience of immigrants to rural Newfoundland: struggle and loss; attributions of difference; interaction and connection; and responsibility to change. In addition, participants reported tangible ways in which communication can help or hinder immigrant adaptation or community building, which resulted in six communicative approach themes: “leaving be,” “differentiating,” “acknowledging,” “opening,” “resisting,” and “bridging.” These approaches vary in what I call their v mindful engagement with difference, and represent the power and potential of communication to both reflect and build who a community is and what it wants to be. Finally, results from this study point to the subtle ways immigration is affecting rural Newfoundland. Local people are getting more exposure to different cultures, immigrants are forming small ethnic groups in some communities, and locals are taking steps to address the needs of newcomers to their towns. In addition, results suggest that other non-immigration related changes in rural Newfoundland also influence the immigrant experience. This investigation contributes to current scholarship by offering an in-depth look into the rarely studied area of rural immigration. It also offers specific communicative approaches that reflect and construct immigrant adaptation experience and community building. In addition, this qualitative work supplements significant quantitative research by adding rich, contextualized stories that touch on issues of loss, culture, identity, and change. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... XII CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 Key Terms .................................................................................................................................... 3 Deficiencies ................................................................................................................................... 5 Rationale ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Purpose ....................................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 12 Immigration ................................................................................................................................ 12 Challenges of immigration. ...................................................................................................... 13 Benefits of immigration. .......................................................................................................... 15 Cultural Adaptation ................................................................................................................... 18 Theoretical differences. ........................................................................................................... 22 Factors affecting adaptation. .................................................................................................... 25 Individual factors. ................................................................................................................ 25 Group factors. ...................................................................................................................... 27 Receiving society factors. .................................................................................................... 29 Adaptation’s results. ................................................................................................................ 31 Theoretical assumptions and related contestations. .................................................................. 33 Community ................................................................................................................................. 40 Conceptualizations of community. .......................................................................................... 40 Sense of community. ............................................................................................................... 41 Membership......................................................................................................................... 42 Influence. ............................................................................................................................. 43 Social capital. ...................................................................................................................... 43 Fulfillment of needs............................................................................................................