7.3.2025
Doctoral thesis on the information seeking behaviour of migrant women
M.Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.) Khadijah Kainat’s doctoral thesis in Information Studies will be put forth for public defence at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and Economics, and Law.
The thesis is entitled Navigating New Horizons of Socio-Cultural Transition – Information Seeking Behaviour of Migrant Women in the Context of Integration.
The public defence of the doctoral thesis takes place on 14 March 2025 at 1PM in Stora auditoriet, ASA-building, Vänrikinkatu 3, Turku. You can also follow the defence online. Professor Tuomas Harviainen, Tampere University, Finland, will serve as opponent and Professor Kristina Eriksson-Backa, Åbo Akademi University, as custos.
Summary
The doctoral study explores migrant women’s integration through an information-seeking lens, examining how socio-cultural factors like gender, communication style, language, and socialization patterns shape their interactions with information in a new country. The research focuses on South-Asian immigrant women in Finland and Middle-Eastern refugee women in Sweden, groups often facing isolation due to domestic responsibilities, limiting their work and educational opportunities. This restriction further hinders language learning and social engagement, creating complex barriers to integration and negatively impacting their well-being.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the study incorporates qualitative and quantitative research methods within a social constructionist framework. Data collection included 30 semi-structured interviews (12 in Finland, 18 in Sweden) and a survey with 232 responses. Thematic analysis was conducted using Nvivo for qualitative data, while survey responses were analyzed with SmartPLS, applying regression analysis to examine variable relationships.
The findings highlight that migrant women’s primary information needs relate to employment, health, and language learning. Socio-cultural factors present challenges such as information overload, exposure to negative or irrelevant information, and restricted access to reliable sources. However, they also offer advantages, such as multilingual skill development and the ability to leverage diverse cultural knowledge for broader information access.
The study contributes to Library and Information Science (LIS) and integration literature from a socio-cultural perspective. It emphasizes the necessity of gender-sensitive integration policies, advocating for tailored support services and specific programs to enhance the well-being of migrant women in host societies.
Khadijah Kainat can be reached by email khadijah.kainat@abo.fi.
The doctoral thesis can be read online through the Doria publication archive.
Click here for a press photo of the doctoral student.
Instructions for following the doctoral defence remotely:
To follow the defence, you need the Zoom software or the Google Chrome browser. You do not need to create a Zoom account to follow the defence. If you install the application, you participate by clicking on the meeting link, after which you should allow the link to open in the Zoom app.