The The Use of WhatsApp Group to Maintain Intercultural Friendship

This research aims to analyze the use of WhatsApp Group (WAG) as a medium for maintaining intercultural friendship among people with different cultural backgrounds namely the alumni of The Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) batch ‘89. This research used a case study approach with a qualitative research design. The data were collected through direct observation of the texts, pictures, emoticons, and videos shared in the WAG and interviews with 20 informants who are the members of the group coming from different countries. The Needs Hierarchy Theory of Maslow and the Social Exchange Theory of Thibaut and Kelley were used in this research. The findings show that the alumni of SSEAYP Batch ’89 joined the WAG to maintain intercultural friendship among them by exchanging information about their and their families’ conditions; expressing birthday wishes; congratulating each other’s achievements of studies or works; congratulating religious celebrations; fundraising for certain events; and coordinating reunions. To maintain their friendship, the WAG members implicitly agreed to an unwritten rule that they must respect each other, be tolerant, and be open-minded. They also agreed that topics related to politics and religion are not allowed to be posted and discussed in the group, except for greetings on religious occasions. In addition, humor that causes unnecessary laughter and pictures and videos that tend to be pornographic or demeaning to women should not be posted in the group. The discussion about football also should not be too deep to avoid fanaticism with certain teams or players which might result in division or enmity between the group members.

INTERCULTURAL FRIENDSHIP AS STRATEGY TO REDUCE ANXIETY AND UNCERTAINTY OF ZIMBABWE STUDENTS IN MUHAMMADIYAH SURAKARTA UNIVERSITY

Friendship is a relationship between voluntarily wounded individuals. Friendships have a responsibility to be emotionally supportive, actively provide assistance, maintain confidence, and support each other. Benefit in friendship usually include skills in activity, emotional support and help. Intercultural friendship is a more specific and more complex phenomenon that has its own characteristics in terms of relationships. The meeting between two different cultures in building a relationship of intercultural friendship. Establish intercultural friendship relationships with local people by immigrants as a form of adaptation to the new environment. Immigrants are individuals who move from one region to another in a country influenced by push factors and pull factors such as economic, environmental, and educational factors. Immigrants can experience several conditions when they are in a new environment such as feelings of anxiety and uncertainty to interact with the surrounding environment. This study aims to find out how the relationship of intercultural friendship can reduce the level of anxiety and uncertainty of Zimbabwean students at the Muhammadiyah Surakarta University. The research method used qualitative method by using population from foreign students at Muhammadiyah Surakarta University and purposive sampling technique that is sampling based on student's country of origin Zimbabwe. Data collection by interview and documentation, for analysis using qualitative content analysis. Credibility and validity use inter-code reliability and triangulation of data sources and theories.Keywords : Adaptation, Migration , Anxiety, Uncertainty, Intercultural, Friendship.

THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN INTERCULTURAL FRIENDSHIP DEVELOPMENT

ABSTRACT. Studying in a foreign country provides an opportunity for students from diverse cultural backgrounds to develop an intercultural friendship between each other. In today’s increasingly digitalized society, the use of social media cannot be detached from any communication context, including intercultural communication. Previous studies have examined the use of social media in various settings of intercultural communication. This study aims to examine the use of social media in intercultural friendship development among foreign students in Kocaeli University, Turkey. Applying qualitative method, six foreign students who represent four different cultural backgrounds were interviewed in this study. The interview tried to explore their subjective experiences of using social media to develop an intercultural friendship with other foreign students in their surroundings. The study reveals various similarities and differences of the pattern, evaluation, and impact of using social media in intercultural friendship development. The study concludes that the use of social media tends to enhance the intercultural friendship development.