Saudi PhD Sojourners’ Construction of Identities on Twitter: An Exploratory Study in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This thesis provides insights into international students' online discursive construction of their identities on social media. Social media platforms have become part of the daily lives of many people. For international students, they are perhaps even more so as they are used for educational and social purposes, as well as staying in contact with family and friends at home. They are also an important way of portraying identity. Increasing numbers of students pursue university studies abroad, but little attention has been paid to how they construct and develop their international identities on social platforms, as existing research has focused primarily on pedagogical uses of technology or intercultural competence. This study explored how a group of Saudi international PhD students constructed their identities online on one of the most popular social media platforms, Twitter, while studying in the United Kingdom. It employed online ethnographic observation of Saudi PhD sojourners’ profiles and tweets on Twitter from May 2019 to January 2020, followed by interviews. The data were analysed thematically, informed by the grounded theory approach. The findings showed that the participants developed multiple identities on Twitter – PhD, global, religious and national – reflecting complex perceptions of capital, power and social identity. Their construction entailed idioms of practice, the use of linguistic and non-linguistic cues, forming communities of practice through audience design and demonstrating affiliation with various groups using hashtags. The participants illustrated how identities can be constructed online and highlighted the importance of undertaking a PhD both socially and professionally. Their interactions on Twitter also showed that the study abroad experience can be enriching in terms of intercultural communication and developing a global perspective. The study concludes that social media can be used as an effective resource for communication by students in making personal and academic representations.