The Role of Media in Consumer Acculturation and Identity Negotiation: The Case of Malay Sojourners in the United States of America A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Sharifah Nadiah Syed Mukhiar August 2015 © 2015 Sharifah Nadiah Syed Mukhiar. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled The Role of Media in Consumer Acculturation and Identity Negotiation: The Case of Malay Sojourners in the United States of America by SHARIFAH NADIAH SYED MUKHIAR has been approved for the School of Media Arts and Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Drew McDaniel Professor of Media Arts and Studies Scott Titsworth Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii ABSTRACT SYED MUKHIAR, SHARIFAH NADIAH, Ph.D., August 2015, Mass Communication The Role of Media in Consumer Acculturation and Identity Negotiation: The Case of Malay Sojourners in the United States of America Director of Dissertation: Drew McDaniel This dissertation described the role of media in Malay sojourners’ consumer acculturation and identity negotiation in the United States of America. This was achieved by examining the Malay sojourners’ 1) reactions to the American market, 2) pre-purchase information searches, 3) perception of American advertising and 4) symbolic consumption. To achieve these objectives, the Malay sojourner’s overall acculturation consisting of the pre-immigration phase, the immigration phase and the possible outcomes were studied. The study employed an exploratory qualitative method by examining the sojourners’ experiences through self-reports. This involved 15 in-depth interviews and 3 focus group discussions conducted with Malay sojourners in Washington, D.C.; Athens, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio and Kalamazoo, Illinois. The sojourners consisted of students, expatriates, Malaysian Embassy staff and spouses of the first three groups. The result showed that media did not play a big role either before or during the acculturation process. There was some level of distress in adaptation reported by the sojourners. In the sociocultural aspect, the Malay sojourners tended to be quite separated from the dominant culture group. Pre-immigration influences were found to be very important in Malay sojourner’s consumer acculturation and identity negotiation. Television advertising did not play an important role in Malay sojourner’s information iii search. However, the Malay sojourners effectively maneuvered the American market by utilizing other marketing strategies employed by the host culture. This competence was guided by existing knowledge of marketing strategies, media and international brands. The sojourners also had to adjust their purchasing behavior due to a lack of Islamic compliant products in the American market. The ethnic group’s collectivistic nature played an enormous part in their pre-purchase information search. The Malay sojourners used symbolic consumption to strengthen their existing identity built on faith and culture. These findings were discussed and associated with the Malaysian political forces and local market, the Malay culture and Islamic practices. Keywords: consumer acculturation, identity, Malay sojourners. iv DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my parents, whose blessings, prayers and faiths gave me wings to fly. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All praises to Allah, may He be Glorified and Exalted, because it is within His plans that I am able to reach this milestone. This dissertation, although a personal project, was unachievable without the help of many people. I would like to especially thank Dr. Drew McDaniel for his excellent guidance, insightful feedback, support and patience throughout the development of this dissertation. Your helpfulness and integrity are truly remarkable. To my committee members, Dr. Catherine Axinn, Dr. Roger Cooper and Dr. Hong Cheng, thank you for your thoughtful advice and encouragement throughout my studies. Thank you also to my editors, Dr. Candace Stewart and Jim Mills who provided invaluable assistance in editing and suggesting style repairs. I would also like to acknowledge the financial assistance I received from the School of Media Arts and Studies, Ohio University, and School of Communication, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Special thanks to all the faculty members and support staffs in both of the schools for helping me academically and administratively. My heartfelt gratitude to all my informants who provided information that made this study possible, especially to the helpful officers of the Malaysian Embassy, Washington D.C. Last but definitely not the least, thank you to my family; Mama, Led, Kak, Meem, Ateh, Abang Ajez, Abang Miji, Achoi and all my nephew and nieces for all the love, help, support and faith. To my Malaysian family in Athens and Columbus, you gave me a home in a foreign land. I don’t know how I would survive without our gathering sessions. To my roommate Lana, thank you for everything! Special shout out to my friends for keeping me sane throughout this difficult journey, you know who you are. The ‘crazy’ night trips to Walmart will forever be embedded in my heart. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Dedication ........................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. vi List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Background of the Study ................................................................................................ 1 A Brief History of Malaysia ........................................................................................... 4 My Journey ..................................................................................................................... 8 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................................ 9 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................... 12 Definition of Concepts .................................................................................................. 12 Acculturation ............................................................................................................. 12 Sojourners ................................................................................................................. 14 Consumer Acculturation ........................................................................................... 15 Identity Negotiation .................................................................................................. 16 Dissertation Structure .................................................................................................... 17 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................ 19 Migration and Acculturation ......................................................................................... 19 Identity Negotiation ...................................................................................................... 24 vii Sources of Identity .................................................................................................... 24 Culture and Consumerism in Identity Negotiation ................................................... 27 Symbolic Consumption ................................................................................................. 29 Consumer Acculturation ............................................................................................... 32 Pre-immigration ........................................................................................................ 33 Transition .................................................................................................................. 34 Outcome .................................................................................................................... 35 Studies on Sojourners ................................................................................................... 35 Media and Its Role in Constructing Reality .................................................................. 39 The Malay Sojourners’ Consumer Acculturation and Identity Negotiation ................. 41 Chapter Summary ......................................................................................................... 47 Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................... 49 The Position of the Researcher ..................................................................................... 49 Study Design ................................................................................................................