This was an exploratory study which used Flanagan's Critical Incident Technique to find out the factors which hinder or facilitate the psycho-socio adjustment of students from The People's Republic of China to Canada. The 21 subjects for the sample were drawn at random from a name list provided by the Chinese Visiting Scholars and Students Association at University of British Columbia. All of the subjects were graduate students or visiting scholars and had been in Canada for 9-12 months at the time of the interviews. All subjects were able to identify incidents which hindered or facilitated their first year psycho-socio adjustment to Canada. The total of 385 incidents, 175 facilitating and 210 hindering incidents, were reported. The average number of incidents reported per student was 19.2. Ten major categories which facilitate or hinder PRC students' psycho-socio adjustment to Canada have been found through this research. Considering the number of incidents reported by the participants, Academic Study & Research was ranked the first place among 10 categories. According to the rate of participation, Language Barriers & Improvement was listed the highest among 10 categories. Considering the number of facilitating incidents reported by the participants, Initial Settlement was placed the highest. In the number of hindering incidents, category of Language Barriers & Improvement was listed the highest among the 10 categories. The explanation of the research findings and suggestions for how the findings might contribute to the understanding PRC or other Oriental international students are included in the discussion. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

Much research about the adaptation of Chinese international students focuses on challenges and stresses they experience in their adjustment to the host country, a perspective that is largely negative and pessimistic (Yeh & Inose, 2003). Although resilience, highly congruent with positive psychology and broadly defined as successful adaptation to adversity, has been studied among several populations, it has not been widely applied to these students. This study employs the cultural-contextual theoretical framework of resilience to gain an understanding of the resilience of 16 Chinese international students by examining: (1) How do these Chinese international students view challenges? (2) What resources do these Chinese students view as helpful in overcoming challenges? (3) How have their individual identities been negotiated and transformed? (4) What are their subjective views of success? The interviews revealed four leading challenges for these Chinese international students across different contexts: English, loneliness, relationships, and academic challenges. The participants identified intrinsic and extrinsic, cultural, and contextual resources they perceived helpful and important for them in overcoming challenges. They additionally described their transformed identities in personal, social, and cultural dimensions. The study revealed students’ patterns of navigation and negotiation, and their personal views on success, views that were dramatically different from what they saw as traditional Chinese success. This study expands the conceptualization of resilience from a cross-cultural to a more contextual understanding. This understanding might be helpful to provide more efficient assistance, build more effective intercultural communication, or even design more updated intervention programs for Chinese international students. / Thesis (Ph.D, Education) -- Queen's University, 2013-08-29 19:53:56.25

The sociological concept of anomie describes a state in which an individual or community experiences a loss or lack of a clear sense of norms. Anomie can be understood from three key theoretical perspectives from Merton, Durkheim and Guyau, respectively. These are: 1) a dilemma of having to choose between socially acceptable goals and the means required to achieve them; 2) a loss of meaningful connection with social classification through sudden change; and 3) a period of existential obligation in which problems must be solved in order to move to the next developmental stage. Power and institutions share an intrinsic relationship with theories of anomie as from a Foucauldian perspective; it is institutions that are tasked with the maintenance of social norms through the investiture of legitimate power. Feelings of dysphoria also frequently accompany anomie as individuals and groups change and adapt in the process of developing coping skills of either motivation and increasing agency, or survival and acquiescence. This thesis is the final product of a qualitative research study of the lived-experiences of Mainland Chinese students who are currently studying in Hong Kong, or who graduated within the past five years. Using a narrative theory approach with values of empowerment and collaborative research, testimony from 25 participants was obtained through guided, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The study found that experiences of discrimination and exploitation against Mainland students are common both in wider society and within university institutions. These experiences in turn often led participants to begin questioning their personal worth, the value of their goals, and sense of “Chinese-ness”. As a result, participants came to question the shared narrative of Hong Kong’s cultural and economic superiority, and its own internal sense of identity and future direction within a greater Chinese community. Through this thesis, I argue that although experiences of anomie involve potentially distressing periods of change, uncertainty and dysphoria, they also serve an important social function in contributing to the formation and negotiation of norms, and in the process, help to maintain an ongoing, contiguous narrative both of individuals and the communities that they live within. The concept of a “Constellation Theory of Anomie “is developed using two models entitled “The Theoretical Constellation of Anomie” and “The Narrative of Anomie” to explain the bi-dimensional nature of anomie in contexts of structurated space and narrative time. As Hong Kong and Mainland China continue to move closer together, existing social, cultural and behavioural norms become increasingly contested. Mainland Chinese students studying in Hong Kong are a singularly important group as their presence in the region serves as one context for the negotiation of a stable, inclusive group identity and narrative. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005.

Thesis (Honors)--College of William and Mary, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-105). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1971. / Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Master / Master of Arts

As the progress of globalization and internationalization, higher education has also entered into the stage of globalizing. Global student mobility, as one of the most obvious representatives of the globalization of higher education, has earned international awareness and attention as a wide spread social issue all over the world. China, as a pioneer to promote the progress of globalization, has become world’s largest student exporting country. It is owning to the fact that with the fast advancement of social and economical condition in China, the rising income level of middle class families has boosted the desire for Chinese students to pursuit perceived better education overseas. However, one of the most serious unexpected outcomes caused by this trend of studying overseas is the issue of brain drain, since large number of Chinese overseas students never came back after graduation. Yet, with the fluctuation of the world economical situation, the growth of China’s economical and political power is attracting more and more Chinese overseas graduates back to work. Hence, it is necessary to analyze the factors that influence Chinese students’ behavior of ‘going out’ and ‘coming back’, which is also the theme of this paper. Specifically, both of the push and pull factors that caused Chinese international students’ decisions of coming back home after graduation will be discussed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

International students who experience difficulties in a new culture are often considered to have suffered a breakdown in their normal healthy psychological functioning, and therefore need therapy and counselling (Pedersen et al, 1976). This study views failure and problems experienced by the sojourner as a result of lack of the necessary new social skills and knowledge. Social networks, particularly friendships, are thus extremely important in that such networks are not only source of social support, but also major channels through which such skills and knowledge are acquired. Guided by social support theories and social skills theories, this study examines the following research questions through the survey and the interview with a sample of Chinese students at Northwest University I and five other universities across the United States. How is adjustment of Chinese students related to their friendship patterns? What are the friendship patterns of Chinese students? What are the primary functions of the friendship patterns of Chinese students? How is the degree of difficulty felt by Chinese students in different social situations related to their friendship patterns? How is social adjustment related to the degree of difficulty felt by Chinese students in different social situations? Some additional questions related to the five research questions were also addressed in this study. The study showed there were different functions for different friendship patterns among Chinese students. Despite different functions, friendships are very important for Chinese in their adjustment to the United States. However, students belonging to the bi-cultural friendship pattern were more satisfied with social as well as academic aspects of their life in this country than those who belong to the mono-cultural friendship pattern. Among different factors contributing to social adjustment, social skills account most for the variance of social adjustment among Chinese students. This study concluded with suggestions for forming institutional policies toward international students in American higher education, training of international students both at the home country and the host country, and advice to prospective international students, particularly Chinese students.