Graduate International Students' Social Experiences Examined through Their Transient Lives: A Phenomenological Study at a Private Research University in the United States

Autor/in	Kashyap, Nishmin Balsara
Titel	Graduate International Students' Social Experiences Examined through Their Transient Lives: A Phenomenological Study at a Private Research University in the United States
Quelle	In: College and University, 87 (2011) 1, S.18-24 (9 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0010-0889
Schlagwörter	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; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Socialisation; Sozialisation; Forschungseinrichtung; Soziale Erfahrung; Studienerfahrung; Phenomenological psychology; Phänomenologie; Psychologie; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Akkulturation; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Sozialkapital; Schülerverhalten; USA
Abstract	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.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). One Dupont Circle NW Suite 520, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-293-9161; Fax: 202-872-8857; e-mail: pubs@aacrao.org; Web site: http://www.aacrao.org/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10