Comparing and contrasting intra- and inter-cultural relations and perceptions among mainstream and minority students in multicultural classrooms in higher education

ABSTRACT

This study was set against the backdrop of a common worldwide phenomenon of internationalisation and multiculturality on campuses, the prevalence of cross-cultural communication in the epoch of globalisation, and a paucity of studies investigating both mainstream and minority students’ intra- and cross-cultural interaction and attitudes. As the first step towards maximising students’ benefits reaped from intercultural interaction, this article reports on the quantitative findings of intra- and inter-cultural relations as well as perceptions among both mainstream and minority tertiary-level students (n = 155) in Hong Kong. From the survey results, various within- and between-group comparisons were made. Significant findings include the substantial differences in how mainstream students relate and view themselves vis-à-vis the minority group, and the general greater open-mindedness and acceptance of the minority group compared with the mainstream group. This article culminates with implications for cultivating positive cross-cultural relations in international classrooms, which are especially pertinent for the mainstream students.

KEYWORDS:

• Intra- and inter-cultural relations
• interaction and communication
• learners’ perceptions
• mainstream and minority students
• multicultural environment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Art Tsang

Art Tsang is an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. One of his research interests is interculturality in education. His publications have appeared in Journal of Studies in International Education, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, and Language Teaching Research, among others.