Associations between perceived positive and negative parental contact and adolescents’ intergroup contact experiences

This study investigated the association between perceived parental positive and negative contact and adolescents’ own positive and negative contact experiences and tested perspective-taking, intergroup anxiety, outgroup attitudes, and approach behavioral tendencies as potential mediators. A total of 325 7th and 8th Year Turkish students completed questionnaires in classrooms (M_age = 13.46, SD = 0.75). Structural equation models demonstrated that percieved negative parental contact was directly and strongly associated with negative, but not positive, adolescent contact, whereas parental positive contact had a direct positive association with adolescent positive contact. We further found that perceived parental positive contact was related to higher perspective-taking and lower intergroup anxiety which promoted approach behavioral tendencies which was, in turn, related to more positive and less negative contact among adolescents. The study highlights the critical function of parental positive and negative contact on the formation of adolescents’ contact behaviors.     

Intercultural competence developmental processes of university and college students as three types of transition – A systematic review

This systematic review endeavors to answer the overarching question of how students’ intercultural competence (IC) develops as three types of transition: transition-as-induction (T1), transition-as-development (T2), and transition-as-becoming (T3). Prior studies put much emphasis on external influences and/or outcomes of IC development while neglecting its transition path. We argue that it is the developmental process of IC that manifests the dynamism and fluidity of student transition and can inform universities and colleges of tailored and effective strategies to nurture that. Based on 86 empirical studies published between 2010 and 2021, we analyze the process of students’ IC development based on the reasoning approach, research design, influential factor, and outcome. There are processes of IC dimension (ID) development (periodic induction), intercultural adaptation (IA) (linear development), and intercultural relationship (IR) development (ongoing becoming). They differ in terms of intrapersonal, person-environmental, or interpersonal perspective as well as more fixed or fluid depiction of students’ IC development. This review mainly addresses the research gap in existent IC literature through the trichotomy of transition and provides suggestions for future practices and policies regarding students’ IC development.     

Can interethnic contact between majority (Han) and minority (Uyghur) people in China influence sense of Chinese national Community? The role of positive and negative direct,extended and vicarious intergroup contact

ObjectivesIn multiethnic countries, enhancing the sense of community and preventing ethnic segregation represents a major challenge. In this study we aimed to test the effects of different forms of intergroup contact in fostering sense of community among majority and minority ethnic groups in China, by focusing on the sense of the community at the national level.MethodsParticipants were Han (N = 355, ethnic majority group) and Uyghur (N = 546, ethnic minority group) people at a multiethnic university in the Xinjiang province in China.ResultsResults from path analysis revealed that positive direct contact for the minority, and positive extended and vicarious contact for both majority and minority group were indirectly associated with higher sense of Chinese national community via greater focus on positive characteristics of the outgroup. In addition, negative contact (extended contact for the majority; direct contact for the minority) were indirectly associated with lower sense of Chinese national community via reduced focus on positive outgroup characteristics. No evidence was found for negative focus (focus on negative outgroup characteristics) and intergroup threat as mediators. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings for improving intergroup relations in multiethnic and conflictual settings by using multiple forms of intergroup contact are discussed.     

Facebook contact: The effect of an outgroup member’s language proficiency on desire for future intergroup contact

Guided by contact theory, we examined the effect of an international student’s English language proficiency on American students’ desire for future interaction with international students, online and in-person. We created a fictitious Facebook page of a female Chinese international student and experimentally manipulated her Facebook posts to represent low or high English proficiency. American students (N = 126) in the high proficiency condition reported more identification with the international student, which subsequently led to more desire for future interaction with the student both online and in person. These effects generalized to a desire for interaction with other Chinese students (again, both online and in person). The findings of the study have theoretical and practical implications for online intergroup communication.     

The role of adoptive parents’ intergroup contact in fostering the well-being of adoptees: The “extended intragroup contact effect”

The present study examines the effects of a new cultural socialization strategy on the well-being of transracially adopted adolescents and emerging adults. Specifically, we propose a novel strategy focused on the role of adoptive parents’ positive contact with members of their children’s ethnic group of origin, which we labelled “extended intragroup contact.” The hypothesis was that observing ingroup members (adoptive parents, belonging to the family ingroup) engaging in contact with another ingroup (members of children’s original ethnic group) would be associated with adoptees’ meaning in life and, in turn, with well-being. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 120 families, each composed of transracial adoptees (all born in Latin American countries) and their adoptive parents. The results were generally supportive of predictions, showing that knowing of positive interactions between members of two different ingroups (family ingroup and ethnic ingroup) had beneficial effects for the well-being of transracial adoptees. The theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed, focusing on the importance of investigating extended intragroup contact as a strategy for improving the well-being of disadvantaged group members.     

Adolescents’ global competence: A latent profile analysis and exploration of student-, parent-, and school-related predictors of profile membership

In a diverse and interconnected world, developing students’ global outlook is necessary. Global competence (GC) refers to the capacity and disposition to thrive in this globalized environment. In 2018, PISA conducted an international assessment of adolescents’ GC. Using this data, we adopted a person-centered approach to investigating Korean adolescents’ GC. The present study pursued two aims: (1) to identify GC profiles based on multiple dimensions and (2) to test what student, parent, and school variables predict membership in these profiles. The sample included 15-year-old Korean adolescents (N = 1940) and their parents (N = 1940). We conducted latent profile analysis (LPA) using Mplus and identified four distinct GC profiles: (1) Average Practice but Less Developed Profile, (2) Near-Average Profile, (3) Developed Cognition and Tolerance Profile, and (4) Whole Developed Profile. Predictors of membership in these profiles included student variables (gender, academic performance, self-efficacy), parent variables (parental economic, social, and cultural status, parents’ interest in learning about different cultures), and school variables (number of learning activities at school, teachers’ attitudes toward various cultural groups, school’s cooperative environment). Based on our findings, we suggest educational support strategies for improving adolescents’ GC.     

Comparing students’ study abroad experiences and outcomes across global contexts

In this study, we explored the influence of international destinations on student experiences and learning outcomes in study abroad by comparing outcomes across international tracks within a common global program. All students take the same semester-long course then travel on one of seven international tracks to different countries. Our study treated each international track as a case and used a mixed-methods approach to analyze students’ journals kept while studying abroad to compare the experiences and learning outcomes of students across cases. This analysis revealed that although the cultural distance between the United States and the host culture appears to influence students’ experiences, several other factors such as the presence of a foreign language and visible historical environment are also important to consider. These results provide insight for designers of global programs regarding the implications of choosing different international destinations as the focus of their programs.     

Apple,Foxconn, and Chinese workers’ struggles from a global labor perspective

To enrich the discussion of global labor, between 2010 and 2016, we studied Apple’s value chain, Foxconn’s mode of labor control, and Chinese workers’ struggles. Through our fieldwork in China we also examined Apple’s and Foxconn’s responses to the spate of worker suicides, workers’ resistance, the activism of scholar and student groups, and transnational justice campaigns. We conclude with reflection on global labor studies in light of the debates between Karl Polanyi’s counter movement and Karl Marx’s class-based struggle.     

Academics’ perceptions of intercultural competence and professional development after international mobility

This study examines academics’ perceptions of their intercultural competence after an international exchange period and the influence of academic international mobility on their professional development. The data was collected via an online survey (N = 59) and in-depth interviews (N = 15) from academic university staff in the field of engineering who had recently participated in an international mobility period. The findings produced a positive picture of academics’ international work periods. The data from the self-evaluation indicated that international mobility augments professional proficiency in many ways, including the development of core subject-related competence (e.g., methodological skills) and problem-solving skills, professional self-awareness, as well as the capacity to apply external funding, produce shared publications, and create an international network. Furthermore, in relation to the model of Cultural Intelligence and its four dimensions, Metacognitive, Cognitive, Motivational, and Behavioral, the findings indicated that all the knowledge and skills developed during the exchange period were closely related with the generic working life skills suggested in the competence literature.     

Re-examining public opinion preferences for migrant categorizations: “Refugees” are evaluated more negatively than “migrants” and “foreigners” related to participants’ direct,extended, and mass-mediated intergroup contact experiences

Although migrant categorizations (e.g. “migrants”, “refugees”) are often conflated in political and academic discourse, they may be ascribed to different people and inspire different preferences in public opinion. Previous research in Western Europe has identified more positive attitudes toward “refugees” than toward “migrants” due to the legitimate need for international protection of “real refugees” compared to the perceived illegitimate claims by “economic migrants”. However, little evidence suggests that the same preference also exists in Eastern European countries that have historically received smaller numbers of refugees and had fewer frequent experiences with migrants and foreigners compared to West European countries. Moreover, the term “refugee” was intensively recategorized as “bogus” and de-legitimized in East European political discourse. To provide new evidence, we conducted a pre-registered comparative survey-based study with a sample of young Slovak adults (N = 873) to compare evaluations of three commonly used migrant categorizations in Slovakia -- “refugees”, “migrants”, and “foreigners” -- on multiple attitudinal and behavioural measures. In addition, we also tested the intergroup contact hypothesis about the relationship between participants’ evaluations and their experiences of direct, extended, and mass-mediated contact with these target groups. We found that “refugees” invoked less favourable feelings, attitudes, trust, and greater social distance compared to “migrants” and “foreigners”. These evaluations related to the valence (and less to the quantity) of participants’ experience of intergroup contact. These results challenge previous findings about public opinion preferences for “refugees” over “migrants”, support the intergroup contact hypothesis, and make a case for a more contextualized research.     

Broadening the mind: Beneficial effects of sojourn experiences and contact with visiting international students on prospective teachers’ motivation to avoid prejudiced behavior

Opportunities for intergroup contact are particularly important for prospective teachers because they bear responsibility for an ethnically diverse student population. Using data from a sample of 330 students inscribed in Austrian university colleges of teacher education, we investigated the long-term effects of international student exchange on prospective teachers’ motivation to avoid prejudiced behavior (MAPB). Both sojourning and domestic students’ friendships with visiting international students (VIS) were evaluated as potential instances of naturally occurring intergroup contact that can affect students’ MAPB. Sojourning students had an increased MAPB even nine months after returning to their home country. No effect was found for domestic students’ friendships with VIS. Possibly, the quality of these friendships was insufficient to result in long-term prejudice reduction. Implications of these results are discussed, and the need to advance interventions that are appropriate to improve domestic students’ contact with VIS is ascertained.     

Intercultural communication and US higher education: How US students and faculty can improve: International students’ classroom experiences

Intercultural communication research rarely addresses the perspective of international students, who face challenges as they leave family, move to a foreign place in the US, pursue a degree, and study in a foreign language. Considering these students’ perspectives, US universities, which house large numbers of international students, should consider how they can help these students better adapt to US academic life. To address these challenges, we invited international students at a 4-year tier-one state university to interview, and we qualitatively analyzed their responses to identify how universities can help international students. Our participants noted that US students can befriend them, respect them in the classroom, and learn about other cultures to be more welcoming. Faculty have the most to do to improve international students’ success in the classroom; faculty can grade consistently, communicate outside the classroom, allow time for students to ask questions, help students adapt to US classrooms, speak slowly and eliminate idioms from examples, explain course objectives per industry, share interests and personal information, effectively use class time (particularly final examination weeks), and learn about cultures to better meet students’ needs. Additional research can diversify international students’ needs per their classification (graduate versus undergraduate), home culture, and expectations.     

Moderation impact of national culture on international firm’s environmental,social, governance and financial performance

We examine whether country-level national culture dimensions might moderate an international firm’s environmental, social, governance performance to strengthen or weaken its financial performance based on the Institutional Difference Hypothesis. We find that low power distance, high individualism, high masculinity, high uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgent national culture would moderate a firm’s environmental, social, governance performance to strengthen its financial performance further. On the contrary, high power distance, collectivism (low individualism), feminine, low uncertainty avoidance, short-term orientation, and restraint dimensions would be expected to weaken a firm’s financial performance by discouraging firms from undertaking superior environmental, social, governance performance. GLOBE’s findings such as low power distance, collectivistic institutional and in-group national culture, high uncertainty avoidance, future orientation, all report a significant positive moderation impact on a firm’s environmental, social, governance performance to strengthen its financial performance further. However, high gender-egalitarian national culture and high assertiveness would negatively moderate firm’s financial performance and environmental, social, governance performance. Overall, we think that our findings would further propagate the institutional difference hypothesis as we observe that each of our studied national culture dimensions would moderate firm’s environmental, social, governance performance and financial performance associations significantly.     

English Proficiency,Identity, Anxiety,and Intergroup Attitudes: US Americans’ Perceptions of Chinese

Guided by the Common Ingroup Identity Model and Berry’s acculturation framework, this study examined the roles that perceptions of language proficiency, cultural identity, and communication anxiety had on intergroup attitudes and stereotypes in the American–Chinese contact context. Serial mediation analyses with 10,000 bootstrap samples revealed that perceived English proficiency of a Chinese contact had significant indirect effects on affective and behavioral attitudes toward Chinese through American participants’ perceptions of their contact’s host and home culture identification and communication anxiety. Perceived English proficiency had an indirect effect only on positive stereotypes through the Chinese contact’s perceived identification with home culture.     

Acculturating the Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Culture-Centered Study of Chinese International Students’ Idealization of Medical Integration during Sojourns

ABSTRACT

To better understand the Chinese international students’ barrier to the U.S. health and medical system, this study investigates the students’ understandings of Traditional Chinese medicines during their sojourns in the United States. Holding that medicine is cultural/culture, the culture-centered in-depth interviews (n = 23) help understand the Chinese international students’ acculturation of the two medicines after their arrival in the new medical culture. The analyses focus on the rhetorical nature of medical acculturation: even though the students actually assimilate Traditional Chinese medicine, they claim to integrate the two. The results indicate how integration has been idealized and imposed as the only acceptable medical acculturation strategy for international students. The findings also suggest that medical integration has been used as a disguising cloak of medical assimilation and therefore, immigrants’ integration and acculturation should be carefully examined in health contexts.     

Mix of Chinese and Western Elements, Combination of Tradition and Modernity Li Weiguang’s Landscape Oil Painting

<正>Great Chinese philosopher Confucius had a famous saying that "The benevolent person likes water and the intelligent person likes mountain." Over the sweep of...     

Staying connected: Effects of social connectedness,cultural intelligence,and socioeconomic status on overseas students’ life satisfaction

This study investigated the relationship between social connectedness and overseas life satisfaction in addition to the mediating effect of cultural intelligence (CQ) and the moderating effect of socioeconomic status (SES) respectively. We adopted the social capital theory to support the relations among the proposed variables. Data were collected through online questionnaires from Taiwanese students studying abroad; 431 valid responses were analyzed. The results demonstrated that social connectedness was positively related to CQ; moreover, CQ was positively related to students’ overseas life satisfaction, and partially mediated the relationship between social connectedness and overseas life satisfaction. Concurrently, SES was observed to moderate the relationships of social connectedness with CQ and CQ with overseas life satisfaction. Furthermore, the indirect effect of social connectedness on overseas life satisfaction through CQ was moderated by varying SES levels. Our findings confirm that social connectedness affects CQ, and that CQ serves as the mediation mechanism between social connectedness and life satisfaction among overseas students. In addition, SES plays a significant role in the moderated mediation relationship. Limitations of this study and recommendations for future studies are also discussed.     

Language and intercultural peer interactions: Vietnamese students in Taiwan’s bilingual academic settings

This study examines Vietnamese students’ experiences of language choice practices in intercultural interactions with their local Taiwanese peers. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with students from five different Taiwanese universities where both English and Mandarin Chinese are used as mediums of instruction and communication. Findings suggest that the students frequently used English as a language of neutrality to communicate with local students, which either connected them with or disconnected them from their peers. They, whereas, considered Mandarin as a language of convergence, which helped them to get closer to their Taiwanese friends. They also occasionally made use of Vietnamese—a language of divergence—to a small extent to connect with their local peers. As international students seem to be the ones who often put more effort into addressing the linguistic and cultural gaps and improving the communication effectiveness compared with their local counterparts, it is recommended that local students should play a more proactive role in using proper accommodation strategies to connect with international students. Internationalised universities should also contribute to building a healthy and inclusive intercultural environment for international and local students and facilitating respectful and effective intercultural interactions among them.     

So close and yet so far? Predictors of international students’ socialization with host nationals

Socialization with members of the host culture (host nationals) is a persistent challenge for international students, especially those from East/Southeast Asian countries. The present study investigated three theoretically grounded predictors of international students’ socialization with host-national students—self-esteem, university identity, and perceived discrimination—in a sample (N = 256) of East/Southeast Asian international undergraduate students in the U.S. Socialization with other internationals was assessed to enable a direct comparison of socialization with international students’ two primary peer groups. Across analyses, self-esteem predicted greater socialization with host nationals but not other internationals. Although support was qualified, university identity tended to predict greater socialization with both host nationals and other internationals. Perceived discrimination was unrelated to socialization with either group. Mixed model analyses confirmed the differential pattern of relations between self-esteem and socialization with host nationals versus other internationals, as well as the similar pattern for university identity and socialization target. Results suggest that self-esteem may be a particularly important resource for East/Southeast Asian international students striving to forge relationships with host nationals. Further, boosting university identity may foster better relationships for international students with both host national and other international students on campus.