Rhein, Douglas
(2018)
Sociocultural Adjustment And Coping
Strategies Of Korean And Japanese Students
In A Thai International College.
International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies (IJAPS), 14 (1).
pp. 57-78.
ISSN ISSN: 1823-6243
Abstract
This study is devoted to understanding the adjustment issues Japanese and
Korean international students face in Thai international higher education.
An exploratory study of 15 visiting Korean college students and 15 visiting
Japanese college students in Thai international programs was conducted using
qualitative methods. A series of 30 face-to-face in-depth interviews regarding
the participants’ sociocultural adjustment to their host community was
conducted in 2015–2016. Participants responded to open-ended questions
regarding their adjustment experiences and perceptions of the host culture.
The interview data was thematically coded into several categories.
Participants’ experiences were diverse and ranged from very subtle forms of
discrimination and stereotyping to sexual harassment. The most frequently
reported impediments to sociocultural adjustment included Thai language
issues, excessive undesirable attention from the host community, academic
adjustment, and diffculty establishing friendships with the host nationals. The
most commonly reported coping strategies reported were the use of social
support networks and social isolation from the host community. Implications
for international relations departments and international programs within a
Thai context are discussed.
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