Discovering Remote Enculturation: Riding the First Wave of a New Concept

Ge, Julianna

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/78081 Copy

Description

Title

Discovering Remote Enculturation: Riding the First Wave of a New Concept

Author(s)

Ge, Julianna

Contributor(s)

• Ferguson, Gail M.
• Clarke, Christy V.

Issue Date

2015-06

Keyword(s)

• remote enculturation
• research
• poster
• symposium
• undergraduate
• new concept

Abstract

This poster captures my experience working with the Culture and Family Life Lab to develop and propose a modern form of enculturation- remote enculturation defined by learning aspects of ones heritage culture via indirect and/or intermittent exposure. Remote enculturation captures an important aspect of cultural socialization in immigrant families that has not received focused attention in the child development literature until now. My research consisted of finding peoples narratives online from around the world and interviewing people locally who were discovering new aspects of their heritage culture from afar. I discovered that remote enculturation was a shared experience among many, yet the concept did not have its own label! The process of defining new words to describe well-known experiences was challenging and sometimes felt like describing colors to the blind. Also, riding the first wave of a new concept required an endless source of passion and strong endurance. This experience opened my eyes to the huge potential for creativity and innovation in research. Overall, I developed more clarity about my past, learned to appreciate the power of sharing stories, and accepted that I was never alone in my experiences. Having emigrated to the United States myself during early childhood, I enculturated remotely to my heritage culture through occasional visits to China, skype, and listening to Chinese music. During my research, I was surprised to unearth endless stories of others with the same experiences that I previously lacked words to describe. My presentation will describe my background and research experiences.

Type of Resource

image

Language

en

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78081

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2015 Julianna Ge.

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