Information-sharing among migrant Filipinos in China: reflexive insights from a phenomenological perspective

Abstract

Purpose Negotiating silence to navigate social spaces is part of the survival of migrants in countries where digital censorship exists. In information studies, understanding how silence functions in migrant communities delves into a different realm of information behavior. In this study, the researchers examined the lived experiences of migrant Filipinos in China, providing a different lens on how individuals subjectively experience and interpret the act of sharing information within their specific social and cultural contexts.

Design/methodology/approach This study employs a phenomenological approach with a particular focus on how digital censorship shapes their information-sharing practices. Grounded in the principles of phenomenology and reflexivity, the research explores how individuals perceive, interpret and adapt to sociotechnical constraints within a culturally specific context.

Findings The study revealed that Filipino migrants in China adjust their information sharing in accordance with restrictions, relying on culturally specific communication and negotiating safety within their digital community.

Practical implications The study highlights the need to see information behavior, integrating the frames of study digital censorship, socio-governmental restraints and coded communication as adaptive strategies, which underscore the importance of digital literacy and culturally grounded digital safety education, into migrant support initiatives.

Originality/value Combining the narratives of participants and the awareness of the situation from one researcher, this study proves that information behavior in a restrictive digital context goes beyond traditional models of information seeking and sharing.