Adaptation: Using Photovoice to Understand the Barriers and Supports Experienced By International Students and Spouses

Background and Purpose:  Every year almost 1 million international students reside in the United States pursuing higher education. Despite the positive aspects of pursuing a degree abroad, there is cost associated with this decision. They experience decreased well-being, increased social exclusion and vulnerability as a result of migration and adaptation. Common experiences include adaptation to language, educational system, social networks, cultural shock and racial discrimination. Furthermore, struggling in these areas may result in psychological issues, such as, loneliness, depression, and low self-esteem. International students tend to seek help among their family and friends rather than from formal institutional supports. Thus, it is important to learn about their spouses as actors within the family support system, who are often limited in their ability to achieve self-realization through employment and/or education due to immigration restrictions. However, potential of spouses as a positive support factor is highly under-researched in the literature. This study seeks to explore the diverse patterns of international students and spouses’ adaptation to new life in the US as well as analyze barriers and supports of their adaptation from systemic perspective.

Methods: Photovoice methodology, a qualitative community-focused participatory action approach, was utilized. A purposive sampling strategy was implemented with preference given to those from less represented countries at one Midwestern university. Ten graduate students, one undergraduate, and seven spouses were divided into three groups. Audio recorded weekly sessions were held for each group over three weeks. Participants were asked one question about adaptation per session, and brought responses in the form of two photographs. All photographs were presented and three chosen photographs per session were discussed in detail. Transcribed data was utilized for participatory data analysis and thematic coding by participants. Dedoose was used by two coders to independently code. An iterative review of the coding process was conducted to ensure inter-rater agreement.

Results:  Preliminary data analysis revealed 19 themes related to participant experiences. These themes include barriers (accessing medical & dental services, language, depression, isolation & boredom, accessing acceptable food, transportation, accessing information, discrimination based on appearance, adjustment to culture, accessing academic support, visa limitations, weather challenges) and supports (religious acceptance, community, relationships with domestic students, on-campus resources, identity recognition, diversity in friendships, recreation ). From these individual-level themes, 5 main community level themes were identified: opportunities for building relationships, campus culture of respect to diversity, centralized system of information, campus services and infrastructure, and community organizing initiatives. The community level themes impact the perception of belonging and integration.  Positive growth related to these areas would provide better adaptation outcomes and decrease vulnerabilities and exclusion.  

Conclusions and Implications:  This study contributes to social work knowledge about immigration through shifting the narrative about international students as elite migrants to recognizing their vulnerabilities and co-constructing new narrative of resilience and strategies for its development. We argue that while some of the experiences are related to international students as a particular migrant subgroup, some of the strategies are transferrable for implementing among other immigrant groups for ensuring their better adaptation.