Friendship Networks of International Students Attending Long-Term Programs in Turkey: Implications and a Need for Intervention

Abstract

Building on Bochner's (1977) functional model for the development of overseas students' friendship patterns this study examines the friendship networks of international students attending long-term programs in Turkey concentrating primarily on their close friendships with host country nationals as well as facilitating and hindering factors of this friendship formation with a special attention to students' motivations which had led them to come to Turkey as one of the relevant factors. Our findings have confirmed a strong preference for co-national friendships and limited interaction with Turkish students. The lack of proficiency in Turkish language and a cultural distance (especially different religious background) were the most common reasons why closer bonds with Turkish students have not been formed. It has been also shown that the negative consequences of limited contact between both groups may go beyond the international students and an institutional intervention is needed. Therefore a design for a photography and storytelling project as a tool to increase cross-cultural communication is provided. The aim is to make Turkish students understand better the backgrounds of international students as well as to analyze the potential of similar initiatives to challenge the status quo.

Keywords

• International students,Turkey,Friendship networks,Socio-cultural adaptation,Student experiences

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