International Programs

Recent advances in communication technology such as email, instant messaging, and text messaging have greatly expanded the repertoire of tools available to the average person wishing to maintain an interpersonal relationship across geographical boundaries. However, a person's cultural influences will play an important role in how they utilize these tools, or whether they choose to use them at all. In order to gain further understanding, the research question is posed: "How does culture affect people's decisions to embrace or eschew the use of computer-mediated communication to maintain cross-cultural relationships?" In order to answer this question, definitions of "relationship maintenance," and "culture," are first established, and then research is reviewed for an idea of how the two are related. Next, "computer-mediated communication," is defined, and then examined in context with relationship maintenance, as well as culture. In the end, it is shown that relationships can, in fact, be effectively maintained through the use of CMC. Upon critical examination of research on the subject, it was shown that the most important activities and cues in face-to-face relationship maintenance are possible, and sometimes even preferable, through CMC channels. Further, my analysis suggested that there is a relationship between culture (or "cultural identity") and the way relationships are maintained, as well as between culture and the use of CMC.