Can online contacts between immigrants and veterans facilitate immigrants’ social integration?

Abstract

The current study analyzes whether cross-cultural communication through online social platforms between immigrants from the Former Soviet Union and different sectors of veteran Israelis reduces social distances and facilitates immigrants’ integration. The research was conducted through an online survey of 296 Former Soviet Union immigrants who use social media sites in Hebrew. The findings show a positive impact of online contacts, only on social distances toward groups with very different cultures from Former Soviet Union immigrants: Arabs and ultra-orthodox Jews. Online contacts were found not to have a positive impact on social distances between immigrants and veteran Israelis from the dominant culture. In other words, online contact was not found to contribute to the social integration of Former Soviet Union immigrants, but the social media were found to have the potential to narrow cleavages in Israeli society by reducing stigmas and alienation.

Keywords

Social distances online contact intergroup contact theory social homophily immigrant integration

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