ERIC Number: EJ964096
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0010-0889
EISSN: N/A
Graduate International Students' Social Experiences Examined through Their Transient Lives: A Phenomenological Study at a Private Research University in the United States
Kashyap, Nishmin Balsara
College and University, v87 n1 p18-24, 26-27 Sum 2011
This is a phenomenological study of ten graduate international students at Chardin University (pseudonym). Through 30 in-depth interviews, multiple social contacts, and group and member checking sessions, stories emerged that highlight the social experiences of these graduate international students through their transient lives. For the purposes of this study, "social experiences" include friendships, cultural and religious acceptance, and adaptation to new norms and traditions. Theoretical frameworks used to interpret the findings were transnationalism, adult transitional theory, and the graduate socialization model. This study provided a forum in which participants could narrate their stories rather than remain invisible and silent as they passed through our institutional corridors. What emerged from the narratives is the finding that graduate international students cannot be grouped as a single monolithic entity: rather, they lead variant and divergent lives. Historically, graduate international students' social experiences have been oversimplified; in fact, they lead extremely complex lives as they negotiate a world--and manage a life--comprising home and host country. This study challenges universities to forge new pathways to engage with the members of this vital and vibrant student body in meaningful, innovative, and creative ways. It is the responsibility of institutions of higher learning to understand the intricacies of graduate international students' lives as well as the differences in their religions, languages, and socialization patterns. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Foreign Students, Socialization, Research Universities, Social Experience, Student Experience, Phenomenology, Interviews, Religious Factors, Acculturation, Adjustment (to Environment), Cultural Isolation, Social Networks, Social Capital, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A