MEDIA COMMUNITIES OF UKRAINIAN MIGRANT WOMEN (REFUGEES FROM WAR) IN LITHUANIA AND GERMANY: APPROACHES TO STUDYING

Abstract

This article examines the empirical data from media channels established by Ukrainian women migrants and refugees fleeing war residing in Lithuania and Germany. Additionally, the article seeks to develop theoretical insights into the organization and community dynamics of these migrant groups, with a particular focus on territorial distinctions and the distribution of gender roles. The article employs a case analysis method to examine the media communities of Ukrainian migrants in Germany and Lithuania during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The study involves a relational content analysis of text messages and metadata from these communication channels. The resulting empirical data is framed within the context of Kant’s well-being structure, considering its evolution under current circumstances. The media communities within the realm of immigration are examined through the lenses of the “digital text” and “vernacular writing on the web” concepts. Special attention is given to the diverse forms of “the network of networks” and their localization strategies. Ukrainian media communities, notably with women as a dominant social group, exhibit a form of “‘undirected’ being-together”, which involves reproduction or even integration into existing channels on a new territory to seek support and establish social networks in foreign countries. The article underscores the pivotal role of women’s participation, economy platforms, and immaterial labor in this process.