SOCIAL NETWORKS AS A FACTOR OF CULTURAL ADAPTATION AND SOCIALIZATION

Abstract

It is noted that, due to their properties, social networks have become an effective factor in intercultural adaptation – people use them to obtain information about their host countries, establish and maintain relationships, and also to keep abreast of events in their home countries. Intercultural adaptation is presented as a process of developing mutual understanding through interaction in order to increase the level of adaptability to the requirements of the new cultural environment. In this process, people tend to use social media to better integrate into the host culture and maintain connections with their homeland. It is noted that intercultural dialogue is extremely important in today's globalized and mixed world, where different cultures encounter each other every day, especially on social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc. Social networks, which are essentially web services, allow people to create a public or semi-public profile; create a list of users with whom they maintain contact; review and navigate through the list of your connections and connections created by other people within the system. It is noted that it is possible to understand the differences between cultures and nations and between the characteristics of the perception of “alien” culture, as well as in relation to innovations such as social networks, using G. Gofstede’s six “cultural dimensions” (the theory allows one to compare cultures on an international scale) and the theory diffusion of innovations (explains the essence of the spread of ideas and technologies in different cultures) Generally recognized factors influencing intercultural adaptation are given (territory; duration of interaction; purpose; type of involvement in the life of society; frequency and depth of contacts; relative equality of status and rights; quantitative ratio; clear differentiating signs). In the context of the study of cultural adaptation and socialization, the phenomenon of “culture shock” and its characteristic features are mentioned. It is summarized that a constructive approach to intercultural adaptation requires treating it not just as a natural process of mastering a new, in this case, a new sociocultural environment, but recognizing the need to behave in accordance with the norms of a particular culture. The types of perception of the new in culture are given (egocentric, ethnorelative). Socialization is considered as a way of entering society, the process of a person’s adaptation to the world around him, which involves mastering social norms, values and rules, etc., which determine the successful existence of an individual in society. The role of social networks in this process is undeniable – they are a powerful means of connecting different groups of people regardless of distance, in addition, they provide an excellent platform for sharing news, expressing creativity and learning.