25P
The Lived Experience of International Students in the United States: A Phenomenological Examination of Intersecting Identities
International students are a growing segment of the U.S higher education population. Research on international students predominantly focuses on their problems of intrapersonal and interpersonal adjustments, language barriers, and academic issues. Discussions of university to work transitions, experience of returning home, and issues related to ‘reverse culture shock’ have also been explored. However, literature examining the lived experience of navigating intersecting identities of adjustment and belonging between home and host cultures that affect identity formation among international students have been sparse and fragmented. The purpose of our study is to foster international understanding and cooperation through examination of the effects of global education and socialization on cultural identity formation, unique among international students in the U.S.
Methods
We used phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of international students at a U.S. university. We examined both the structural and textural descriptions of the phenomenon in question: To what extent did participants experience spiritual homelessness while navigating between host and home cultures? How do participants develop their cultural identity while experiencing spiritual homelessness? We sampled 25 international students enrolled full-time at a U.S. university through three focus group discussions, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Grounded theory techniques were used to analyze the data via open coding, axial coding, and selective coding methods.
Results
The study generated five major themes: cultural shock versus reverse cultural shock; loss of identity; personal growth and change; new knowledge and skills, and relationships with family and friends. The participants expressed that one of the greatest challenges is to adjust their “new self” to a “new home” and their “new self” to their “old home”. Navigating between the intersecting identities of both the home and host cultures, they experience loss of their identity and feel uncertain and confused about their future. They are challenged with their beliefs, convictions, values, and worldview while they are immersed in the host culture. They experience changes in attitudes and development of new knowledge, skills, behavior patterns, and competencies to survive with the everyday academic challenges. They experience personal independence, maturity, and self-confidence. However, all these changes affect their relationships with family and friends in their home countries. They expressed feelings of alienation and pressure from family and friends that negatively affect their identity development.
Implications
With the increasing longevity of all societies and the evolving need of diverse workforce, the needs and challenges faced by international students are an important aspect of higher education specifically due to their potential contribution to the global society. We provide implications in the application of an intersectional perspective to educational development policies. It attempts to bring about a conceptual shift in how researchers, educators, students, and educational institutions understand international student experiences, their relationships, and interactions that can affect the broader learning environment. We reiterate the need to critically move beyond singular categories and look at complex relationships, experience, and interactions in providing implications for social work practitioners to help contextualize how identity formation impact academic success and adaptation throughout the life span.