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The cultural adaptation of Japanese college students in a study abroad context : an ethnographic study Segawa, Megumi
Abstract
Using ethnographic methods, namely in-depth interviews and participant-observation, I examined the everyday experiences of fifteen female Japanese students during a nine-month study abroad. I attempted to investigate (1) the nature of cultural learning in the participants of this study during their sojourn and (2) how different social networks in the sojourn context affected the processes of their cultural learning and adaptation to the host environment. I employed models of cross-cultural adaptation based on a perspective of cultural learning / social skill acquisition as a theoretical framework. During the first few months in Canada, students without previous international sojourn experiences seemed to be physically and emotionally vulnerable. Some students experienced emotional upheaval which was consistent with previously published accounts of the characteristics of the sojourner adaptation process. A close association of the Japanese within their group throughout their sojourn resulted in the formation of an ethnic enclave in the dormitory community. This provided a support network for most of the Japanese students, but at the same time, caused interpersonal conflicts in the group. The strong group solidarity also negatively affected the relationship between the Japanese students and their Canadian peers in the dormitory. The Japanese students in this study not only had to adapt to the socio-cultural characteristics of the host environment, but also to the norms and values of their own group which reflected their cultural heritage. Although they encountered a number of challenges while in Canada, the process of overcoming difficulties and absorbing new experiences enabled them to grow personally and intellectually. Towards the end of their sojourn and after returning to Japan, the students recognised positive changes in their attitude and behaviour which they attributed to the different experiences they had through their study abroad. While several findings of the study indicated that the participants' adaptation to the new cultural setting reflected theoretical propositions in the cross-cultural adaptation literature, the study also showed how the unique nature of the students' sojourn environment had a significant impact on their adaptation process.
Item Metadata
Title |
The cultural adaptation of Japanese college students in a study abroad context : an ethnographic study
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1998
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Description |
Using ethnographic methods, namely in-depth interviews and participant-observation, I examined the
everyday experiences of fifteen female Japanese students during a nine-month study abroad. I attempted to
investigate (1) the nature of cultural learning in the participants of this study during their sojourn and
(2) how different social networks in the sojourn context affected the processes of their cultural learning and
adaptation to the host environment. I employed models of cross-cultural adaptation based on a perspective
of cultural learning / social skill acquisition as a theoretical framework. During the first few months in
Canada, students without previous international sojourn experiences seemed to be physically and
emotionally vulnerable. Some students experienced emotional upheaval which was consistent with
previously published accounts of the characteristics of the sojourner adaptation process. A close
association of the Japanese within their group throughout their sojourn resulted in the formation of an
ethnic enclave in the dormitory community. This provided a support network for most of the Japanese
students, but at the same time, caused interpersonal conflicts in the group. The strong group solidarity also
negatively affected the relationship between the Japanese students and their Canadian peers in the
dormitory. The Japanese students in this study not only had to adapt to the socio-cultural characteristics of
the host environment, but also to the norms and values of their own group which reflected their cultural
heritage. Although they encountered a number of challenges while in Canada, the process of overcoming
difficulties and absorbing new experiences enabled them to grow personally and intellectually. Towards
the end of their sojourn and after returning to Japan, the students recognised positive changes in their
attitude and behaviour which they attributed to the different experiences they had through their study
abroad. While several findings of the study indicated that the participants' adaptation to the new cultural
setting reflected theoretical propositions in the cross-cultural adaptation literature, the study also showed
how the unique nature of the students' sojourn environment had a significant impact on their adaptation
process.
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Extent |
13746504 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-06-25
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0054992
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
1998-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.