Mapping the Social Networks of International Students: Foundations for Improving Communication

The adjustment of new migrants to Australia has been the subject of much research. In this project, we look specifically at international students who as transient sojourners also display the same needs as new migrants. International Students bring with them a set of social roles/identities and belong to existing social networks which they maintain, while concurrently developing fresh and conflicting ones throughout their sojourn. These conflicting social roles/identities and networks are complicated further by the transient nature of international students in Australia. Therefore, this project aims to explore how different groups of international students might access information that affects their health and lifestyle in Australia. The project also aims to study the relationship between international students¿ self- perceived identity/social roles and social networks, in order to understand the patterns of communication of different groups of students. For example, do students who identify themselves strongly as temporary visitors rely on Australian sources of information or go back to their home country 3 sources, given the ease with which this might be done in the digital age.