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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/9592 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Segawa, Megumi |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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