1.4 Navigating the Texts

The chapters hereafter are arranged in the standard academic tradition following the literature-methods-data-discussion-conclusion sequence pattern.In Chapter Two, the development of research paradigms in acculturation studies is documented chronologically.The dominant two-dimensional framework is highlighted and reviewed.Questions about the legitimacy of applying it to today's multicultural communities are raised and discussed.This leads naturally to the introduction of social network analysis and its fundamental principles in Chapter Three.Earlier theorizing efforts and empirical results taking a network approach to understanding of acculturation are reviewed as well.In Chapter Four, the design and procedure of the current study are laid out and network terminologies explained.Chapter Five elaborates the characteristics of the social networks of the community and reveals various patterns of interactions through visual analysis.Results of hypothesis testing about the mechanisms driving the formation of social ties and about the consequences of the relations are reported as well.Chapter Six completes the book with a summary of findings, a reflection on the value of social network analysis in intercultural research, and a proposed network theory to be tested in the future.