Culture Differences Associated Social Isolation The second challenge for visiting scholars to face in US is the culture difference (“culture shock”) as shown in the literature (Andrade, 2006). Cultural and social barriers are challenges in the understanding and accepting the difference in social and cultural norms, values etc. Besides facing the same challenges as other international students, the majority of the Chinese students finds the process of making American friends difficult. They have difficulty interpreting the rules and norms of discourse and social engagement; and they are challenged by creating new support networks to help them adjust to the new culture (Swagler& Ellis, 2003; Yan & Berliner, 2012, Peterson, 1999). Most visiting …show more content…
deep or is lack of awareness or willingness to explore difference For example,…Chinese culture promotes collective thinking and connections with people in the society. To establish a harmonious society is the goal of higher education (Huang & Brown, 2008). In US society, individualism and self-reliance are valued. Critical thinking is highly valued in the US educational system (Huang, 2005). This dramatic contrast between the two cultural systems provides a context for much miscommunications between the internationals and locals. Most of our participants of this study felt intimidated to communicate with local people because they are so different. This led to the social isolation they experienced. Some participants felt lonely because they did not know how to establish permanent relationships with local people. Futhermore, the concept of friendship is often viewed quite differently in diverse cultures (Spinks & Wells, 1997). International students could also be confused about the friendship because the American students may be more interested in more superficial socializing than in becoming close or trusted friends (Liu, 2009; Andrade, 2006). A better understanding of each other’s cultural background …show more content…
Away from family and alone in a new environment with limited communication skills are imaginably challenging for most people. Missing families far away can be best compensated with new meaningful relationships established in the strange environment as soon as possible. Asian students are not only the largest international population studying in the United States, but also the most struggled ones to adjust to the U. S. education system and campus life (Talbot &Geelhoed, 1998) Asian students are not only the largest international population studying in the United States, but also the most struggled ones to adjust to the U.S. educational system and campus life (Talbot & Geelhoed ,1998). A strong social support network seems to improve international students’ abilities to cope with this stressful situation (Wan et al., 1992). Poyrazli et al. (2004) found students who perceived from higher levels of traditional and online social support experienced lower levels of acculturative stress and thus more satisfaction. Most of our participants experienced loneliness and helpless at the beginning of their new lives here in the United States. But they learned to cope little by little. All our participants expressed their gratitude to those who had helped them to adapt to this new culture. They could be a close friend or nameless people from church.
Growing up as a first generation Chinese-American, I felt as if I was stranded in the void between two worlds, isolated and alone. At school, I hid my Chinese self and tried to be more ‘American’ in order to fit in. At home, I then carefully tucked away my American half and acted the dutiful Chinese son to please my parents. If Chinese and American were two planets, I was a vagabond flitting back and forth between them, unsettled and insecure, never quite belonging in either one.
When Chinese immigrants enter the United States of America, it is evident from the start that they are in a world far different than their homeland. Face to face with a dominant culture that often times acts and thinks in ways contrary to their previous lives, immigrants are on a difficult path of attempting to become an American. Chinese immigrants find themselves often caught between two worlds: the old world of structured, traditional and didactic China and the new world of mobile, young and prosperous America. They nostalgically look back at China longing for a simpler life but look at the United States as a land of opportunity and freedom that they did not know in China. For this is why they came to America in the first place, to provide for their children and themselves what they could not in China. To do this, of course, they are faced with the challenge of assimilating. Learning the language, acquiring education, owning property, etc. are all ways to seize the American Dream. However this poses a problem for the Chinese immigrant for, in the process of assimilation, they lose some of their Chinese culture. This especially rings true for the children of Chinese immigrants: the second-generation Chinese Americans.
Differences in Relationships Between Western and Non-Western Cultures Most of the research on interpersonal attraction has been carried out in Western societies, especially the United Kingdom and United States. This limitation is very important as it argues that the behaviour and communication need to be understood within the context in which they occur, and this context considerably differs from one culture to another. Therefore we can readily accept that there are large differences in interpersonal relationships between cultures. Its quite easy to assume that what is true in our own culture about interpersonal attraction is likely to be true in other cultures as well. However, the factors influencing whether someone is seen as physically attractive can sometimes be by the current standards of the social group, which are considered sub-cultures.
Recent years have witnessed more and more international students study in the United States. From my personal experience as an international student, I recognized the differences in culture between the international students and the American students. Likewise, a Rebekah Nathan’s chapter, “As Others See Us,” demonstrates that how an international student as minorities see American students. Nathan, a professor who goes undercover as a student in her university, conducts an ethnographic study to examine the interaction between American students and international students. Nathan shows how international students have problems with American students because American students tend to form superficial relationship. This is because American students do not express the close relationship within family and friends. Moreover, international students have a difficult time making friends because American only seems care about themselves, they do not seem to care about the rest of the world. Nathan claims that international students usually stay within their own ethnic group is valid. However, Nathan claims that Americans do not make the effort to make friends with international
Chinese families are highly misunderstood and stereotyped in the United States. It is important to understand a different culture before one makes the assumptions produced by these stereotypes. In order to find a better understanding about Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans, one must do research on that countries heritage, traditions, and other customs before submerging one-self into a Chinese families home. I chose to experience and observe a Chinese family who was kind enough to let me be a guest in their home to share dinner.
Kellie Schmitt’s purpose in writing this narrative is to highlight the differences between two cultures and share her experiences in attempting to surmount social and language barriers. The audience could be students of China and its culture or tourists interested in the challenges they may face in going abroad. The audience may want a perspective different from their own on topics such as social graces in this particular culture, or funeral rituals. More than anything, it is a narrative showing just how important it is to most people to be accepted. Schmitt is far from home, and is writing about the yearning for a friend. This is something almost all the audience can relate to.
Another Country is possibly the only novel of its time in which every character suffers from a feeling of isolation. All the main characters share in the feeling of isolation. Whether the character's isolation is a result of race, economic situation, or even sexual orientation, each character's life is affected. The feeling of isolation causes the characters to lose touch with reality.
When one first moves to a completely new and unfamiliar cultural environment, assuredly he or she will experience cultural shock and disorientation. Culture shock can be from many different aspects, for examples, climate, foods, language, custom, social etiquette, environment and etc. Culture shock might cause depression, homesickness, confusion, sadness, frustration, in which one has to overcome when arrived in a new country. Personally, I had experienced culture shock when I first arrived in America from FuZhou, China; I felt lost and confused. Similarly, Tanya, who is from Kharkiv, Ukraine had experienced cultural shock and had felt unsuitable because of foods, school, and living habits when she came to America one and a half years ago.
The main reason is that they can relate to international students regarding staying connected with friends and families and understanding the hardship that they face. Even in my Ethnographic Observation, I found a similar result where American students are not as interested in becoming friends with international students due to their cultural differences, such as staying connected with families and having a formal and extended conversation. Even when I was doing my Ethnographic observation, I was quite surprised to see the amount of students who hangs out with people from their cultural background. Even the research which was done by the Baruch College professor shows that one is every three international students do not have any American friends. I think for international students the way to solve the problem is not to be embarrassed about being different and find a hobby that American and international student has in common. Also, the best way to build up friendship and relationship with one another is to wait and look for the right person to become friends with because there are American students out there who are eager to become friends with international students to learn about different
The following writing consists of my reflexion on a course that has meant a lot for me. This course was a cultural diversity class that changed the perspective I saw the different people and cultures that live in the United States. As a future psychologist, the experience from the course of cultural diversity will be of substantial help. This is because this course helped me learn important lessons about socialization between multiple ntionalities. Comming from a Caribbean Island, I always wanted to visit the United States, but there are not many different people or cultures where I am from. Furthemore, when I got to travel, I came to live in a city where many different cultures live and work together. This was shocking for me, therefore, I discovered that I had a lot to learn about what
Coming to the United States for college can introduce cultural differences that even the most prepared students might not anticipate. From campus life to classroom etiquette, US school can be quite a different experience from learning in other countries around the world. It is rather natural for students from other countries to join communities that somehow remind them of home and give them the opportunity to remain connected with their roots and at the same time bring the world a little closer to fellow classmates. By raising collective cultural awareness, organized expressions of diversity which create a cultural spillover from which we all benefit.
In life we sometimes experience cultural differences. In The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan shows how mother daughter relationships are affected by these cultural differences. Therefore each of the mothers and daughters has a different view on their Chinese culture.
Going to study in a new country can be a stressful experience, from learning the culture norms to new foods. Culture shock is common with international students. Culture shock can include, meeting new people, language barriers, social behaviors, and a sense of community. A students comfortability with the culture of their new home can determine their learning experience. It can be an emotional rollercoaster, being so far away from family and friends. American culture is difficult to understand. International students find Americans to be confusing. Social norms vary depending on the part of the country a person is in.
For newly arrived international students who are in their late adolescence developmental stage, the sources of acculturative stress often include academic pressures, language difficulties, feelings of inferiority, difficulties in adjusting to new food or cultural values, lack of support, perceived discrimination, and homesickness (Andrade, 2006). In addition, international students may experience little acceptance, tolerance, and understanding of their cultural practices by members of the host country, and in some cases, racial discrimination (Poyrazli & Lopez, 2007). It is also possible that international students themselves may be intolerant or discriminatory towards other international students or members of the host culture. These difficulties can contribute to international students’ loneliness, alienation, mistrust, powerlessness, and depression. Although members (e.g., new college students) of the host culture may be affected by such difficulties, the combination of acculturation stressors has been found to weigh more heavily on international students who have limited access to resources (Poyrazli & Lopez, 2007). Specifically, when experiencing acculturative stress, they may
International students face many different challenges when studying abroad. This is due to many factors. First they are living in a country very far away from their own. The country they are studying in also has a very different way of life than theirs. Also the laws in foreign country are much different than the laws in their own country. Due to that they face a lot of problems trying to adapt to this new culture. Me personally as an international student in the US studying in ASU have faced three particularly difficult challenges that I was able to overcome through time. In this essay I will explain how international students can overcome tough challenges and situations.