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ABSTRACT Title of Document: ENCULTURATION AND ACCULTURATION OF TELEVISION USE AMONG ASIAN INDIANS IN THE U.S. Indira S. Somani, Doctor of Philosophy, 2008 Directed By: Dr. Don Heider Associate Professor, Associate Dean Philip Merrill College of Journalism University of Maryland, College Park This study explored how a cohort of Asian Indians who migrated to the U.S. nearly 40 years ago have become acculturated to watching Indian television via the satellite dish. The study used the integrative communication theory and how two concepts of the theory relate to adaptation: enculturation, the process of socialization individuals undergo in their native culture; and acculturation, the process in which newcomers acquire some, but not all, aspects of their new host culture (Kim, 2001). Oral history interviews were conducted with 10 couples who migrated to the U.S. between 1960 and 1972 in the Washington Metro area to understand their media use over the past 40 years and why they watch Indian television via the satellite dish. The study produced findings that described how these Asian Indians used American television to acculturate to the U.S.; as well as how this cohort learned the act of watching television. Another finding was that the portrayal of India and Indian culture in American media was stereotypical. The third finding showed described how these Asian Indians maintained their sense of Indian culture through using other forms of media and cultural practices. The fourth finding demonstrated how Asian Indians discovered a new way to stay connected to their culture, particularly in real time as they watched Indian programming via the satellite dish. The fifth finding was that this cohort used American television as a filter through which they judged Indian television. Overall, these Asian Indians were found to believe Indian programming was copying Western culture. The study concluded with analysis of how this cohort changed its media habits as media technology itself changed over time. The study showed how diasporic communities form through media use, as well as how audiences also become fragmented and individualized in their choice of media. It uncovered the ways how these Asian Indians became skilled television viewers and could distinguish between good and bad programming. ENCULTURATION AND ACCULTURATION OF TELEVISION USE AMONG ASIAN INDIANS IN THE U.S. By Indira S. Somani Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2008 Advisory Committee: Professor Don Heider, Chair Professor Maurine Beasley Professor Lee Thornton Professor Katherine C. McAdams Professor Deborah Cai, Dean’s Representative © Copyright by Indira S. Somani 2008 Dedication To my dad, the late Satyanarayan M. Somani, who spent his whole life in teaching, research, and publishing. ii Acknowledgements Returning to graduate school after working as a television producer for 10 years has been a challenge. While my friends moved on to the next stage in life, such as expanding their families while balancing their careers, I was in school trying to learn how to be a student again. I thought I was mentally prepared for entering a Ph.D. program, but little did I know how challenging it would be. In this program, I worked harder and was pushed harder intellectually than in all my years in TV. I found entering academia to be as rewarding as it was challenging and am grateful to all the people who have helped me understand the process. First and foremost I thank my advisor, Dr. Don Heider, for his expert guidance with this dissertation. His background is similar to mine as he, too, worked in television for many years before he earned his Ph.D. This common ground made him extremely approachable to discuss how to develop my dissertation. Furthermore, as an accomplished scholar he was able to help me apply my television experience to my research as well as my Asian Indian cultural background. I am truly honored to have worked under his guidance and appreciate his insight and patience in helping me develop the dissertation and my future research, and gain greater understanding of the academic process. I thank Dean Tom Kunkel for supporting me throughout this Ph.D. program and with a film project I co-produced with a colleague. I sincerely appreciate the support, advice, perspective, and friendship I received from the rest of my committee members: Dr. Maurine Beasley, Dr. Lee iii Thornton, Dr. Kathy McAdams, and Dr. Deborah Cai. I am lucky to have worked with each of them on this dissertation and in the course of my doctoral studies. My committee also included the late Dr. Michael Gurevitch, who provided guidance on my research as well as my course work. He will be greatly missed for his intellectual insight as well as his genuine compassion for students. I also want to express my appreciation to Dr. Douglas Gomery for guiding me through the defense of my comprehensive exams and some preliminary research to this study. I thank Dr. Carol Rogers, Dr. Susan Moeller, Dr. Linda Steiner and Prof. Ira Chinoy for their advice and guidance in developing my research and support throughout the program. I thank Prof. Haynes Johnson who gave me flexibility with my assistantship so I could concentrate on writing my research. I am grateful to the staff of the Library of Congress, especially David Kelly, who helped me use library efficiently. The idea of this dissertation was sparked by a conversation among friends— Dr. Amita Vyas, Jitendra Vyas, and Sudha Shuka— four years ago. We learned that we all have something in common: our parents are glued to watching Indian television via the satellite dish. Through these friends and others I was able to develop the idea needed to do the research for this dissertation. I thank the 10 couples in the Washington Metro area who gave their time for the in-depth oral history interviews. I truly enjoyed talking to each person and appreciate their historical overview of the various kinds of Indian media they have iv used since they migrated to the U.S. These interviews would not have been possible without the help of Mr. Raj Boveja and Mr. Murti Pemmarazu. I thank them both for their willingness to connect me to people who are avid watchers of Indian television via the satellite dish. The interviews with media experts in India as well as the U.S. would not have been possible without the help of my dear friend Dean Sreenath Sreenivasan and the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA). Thanks to the many members of SAJA, I was able to connect with people critical to this dissertation, particularly Yatish Yadav, who played in essential role in New Delhi. Two people I interviewed for this dissertation have passed away, Mr. Gopal Raju, the former publisher of India Abroad, and Shamlal, the former editor-in-chief of The Times of India. I feel lucky to have met them and am grateful for their insights. I thank Sue Kopen-Katcef for teaching me how to use the audio-digital equipment needed to conduct these oral history interviews efficiently. I thank Linda Pesante for copy-editing the dissertation and offering helpful suggestions on how to improve the writing. I thank my friends and family for supporting me through this process, particularly Prof. Leena Jayaswal, the co-producer of the film project. I sincerely appreciate her friendship and guidance in teaching me about the academic process. I thank my sister and brother-in-law, Sheila Somani and David Hutz, for the countless meals we shared, helpful advice, and sympathetic ears as needed to get through this program. I am particularly grateful to my sister for coming to my v dissertation defense and bringing my new niece, Lily Satya Hutz. I am also thankful to my uncle and aunt, Subrata and Subhra Ghosh, for attending my defense and their encouragement throughout this program. I gained a tremendous amount of strength from their presence. But most importantly I would like to thank my mother, Shipra S. Somani. After completing her Masters in Social Work, she was unable to complete her Ph.D. She always wanted her daughter to achieve and surpass her own academic accomplishments. Even when she was ill, she stood by me to make sure I stayed in the program and thus complete the dissertation. She traveled with me to India for the interviews needed for this dissertation and gave me the self-confidence I needed to complete the Ph.D. Mom, thank you for believing in me and showing your unconditional support. I could not have gotten through this program without you. vi Table of Contents Dedication..................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements......................................................................................................iii Table of Contents........................................................................................................ vii List of Figures.............................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Focus.................................................................................................................. 3 1.2. Purpose............................................................................................................... 4 1.3. Significance.......................................................................................................
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