Abstract

Since its inception, the worldwide web has fundamentally altered our understanding of communications. With the rapid adoption of new media around the globe, individuals are increasingly able to communicate with people on the other side of the planet in real-time--traditional boundaries like time and space are no longer relevant barriers to intercultural communication. As such, scholars are scrambling to recognize and understand the broader implications of social media, videoconferencing, blogging, etc on more traditional definitions of culture. Additionally, researchers are beginning to study the ways in which minority cultures are utilizing new media, and the way that new media impacts their own cultural perceptions. However, there are still many gaps in the literature, and more work needs to be done to put forth minority perspectives on new media, especially from the point of view of indigenous groups in the United States. Through in-depth, qualitative interviews conducted with members of the Lakota Nation, this research explores the ways in which the Lakota experience social media, and how that media influences cultural perceptions. Findings indicate that social media (and media in general) have been positive in a myriad of ways, including but not limited to: strengthening minority perspectives, allowing for preservation of culture, and creating a place of belonging despite migration and other factors, like Covid-19, which interfered with traditional Lakota modes of communication.

Degree

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications; Communications

Rights

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