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SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF FOREIGN STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN
Abstract
This study examined six hypotheses concerning interaction and adjustment of foreign students. These hypotheses were derived from symbolic interaction theory, the critical mass hypothesis, and Breton's (1964) assumption of ethnic boundaries. A questionnaire was mailed to the entire foreign student population (794) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Three hundred twenty-three usable responses were analyzed by multiple classification analysis and rank-order correlation. The data suggest that the size of representation from a geographic region is positively correlated with membership in foreign student associations. Involvement in foreign student associations was not found to affect significantly either the number of hours spent with Americans or the number of American friends. Thus, foreign student associations are not keeping the social relations of members within ethnic boundaries. Evidence of an institutionalization U-curve regarding friendship was found. The number of American friends increased in the middle of the sojourn, dropping thereafter as the student prepares for the return home. This finding is consistent with previous U-curves found in the foreign student literature (Sewell and Davidsen, 1961), and in studies of total institutions (Wheeler, 1961; Clemmer, 1970; Garabedian, 1970). Involvement in foreign student associations was found to tend to increase the reliance on fellow nationals for information about the United States. Concern with the home country was not shown to affect significantly social adjustment. Home geographic region and time in the United States, however, did affect social adjustment. Furthermore, those students who perceive the reaction of Americans to be unfavorable were found to be more likely to spend fewer hours with Americans, and to have fewer American friends. Social adjustment also seems to be affected by the perceived reaction of Americans. While a majority of the foreign students indicate that the reaction of most Americans to them is moderately or very favorable, a sizeable minority (11.5%) perceive Americans as reacting unfavorably to them.
Subject Area
Sociology
Recommended Citation
FAHRLANDER, REBECCA SUE, "SOCIAL PARTICIPATION AND ADJUSTMENT OF FOREIGN STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN" (1980). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8017623.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8017623