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Social Journal Analysis Essay

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SOCIAL INQUIRY ANALYSIS

WS 4005

RESEARCH REPORT

Experience of an International Student at James Cook University, Australia

Praveen Poovathumkal Sukumaran Nair
12010802

Abstract
After arriving to a new country, every foreign student experiences in one way or another “culture shock” that occurs when a person in getting into new, different from the native cultural environment. Foreign students, who come to study in Australia, have to adapt not only to the university, but also to life in another country: its culture, traditions, the existing standard system of norms and values. In order to see how the process of social adaptation as a special kind of interaction of the subject with new the environment, …show more content…

I believe that Australian students do not realize to a full extent how difficult it can be for those coming from different cultural environment. One of the symptoms Oberg described was a sense of loss. Conversation with Ben demonstrated that this is one of the first confusion an international student goes through – the world he used to live in and felt comfortable is no longer the same and there is no one to guide him. No wonder that at the beginning the majority feels depressed. The universities do not analyze social aspect of the international students’ problems. Without finding their place first, they are not able to succeed in their learning process. In most cases, culture shock is difficult to avoid especially if these are not just two different countries but two different continents. Each student needs an introduction to this new world, but he faces too make challenges to cope with them on his own. This is often one of the major explanations why they fail courses or even semesters. It should be reminded that social adaptation is vital for further curriculum progress. Otherwise, they feel detached from the environment. Thus, any further studies considering the experience of international students should be devoted to psychological and social aspects of adaptation as these are the key factors of their acculturation. I can select three of the leading trends that require deeper analysis. Firstly, the study of acculturation changes in the behavior of international students. Secondly, the study of acculturation stress - emotional changes the international students go through. And finally, the third area is the study of acculturation attitudes, i.e. attitudes and values that the individual form under the influence of new cultural environment. Thus it can be seen that student’s adaptation is a much more complex issue that it might

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