Culture Shock and Social Support: An Investigation of a Chinese Student Organization on a US Campus

Abstract

Previous research has explored common dimensions of culture shock across groups of international students, examined factors influencing intercultural adjustment of individual sojourners, and in the meantime, suggested that communicating with same culture members is minimally helpful for intercultural adjustment. By investigating a Chinese student organization on a US campus and analyzing the qualitative data collected via multiple methods, the researcher found that (a) culture shock is contextually based; (b) a student organization can play an instrumental role in helping students to cope with culture shock and gain intercultural competence by providing social support; and (c) communicating with same culture members can help intercultural adjustment. Implications for international student orientation, study abroad programs, and community-based help programs for international students are discussed.

Keywords:

• Culture Shock
• Social Support
• Intercultural Adjustment
• Intercultural Competence

Notes

[1] To guard identities and maintain confidentiality, a pseudonym was used for the organization. For this purpose, the real source was not listed in the References.

[2] To guard identities and maintain confidentiality, all the names used in this section are not real names of the organizational members.

[3] The researcher polished this and other quotes when necessary.

[4] A pseudonym was used for the magazine to guard identities and maintain confidentiality. For this purpose, the real source was not listed in the References.