“Thanks to the Internet, we remain a family”: ICT Domestication by elderly immigrants and their families in Israel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

In addition to coping with intergenerational and spousal problems related to aging and/or immigration, elderly immigrants in Israel are also often burdened with domesticating information and communication technologies (ICTs). Thus, the goal of this study is to explore how relationships within the elderly immigrant’s family are manifested in a home computer context and to determine the roles that domestication of the relevant technologies plays in their family life. This qualitative study is based on in-depth interviews with 26 elderly users who immigrated from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) to Israel about 20 years ago. The findings show that ICT domestication and family dynamics are complex, interrelated processes: Technologies have dramatically changed the elderly immigrants’ family situations, yet immigrants have accorded these technologies unique meaning, adapting them to respond to their family needs and negotiating ICT domestication as a means of discussing and rebuilding family communication.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)355-368
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Family Communication
Volume16
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Oct 2016

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Communication

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of '“Thanks to the Internet, we remain a family”: ICT Domestication by elderly immigrants and their families in Israel'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this