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Being an Exchange Student in Turkey: Adaptation to a New Culture

Year 2011, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 27 - 39, 01.12.2011

Abstract

Late adolescence is a critical period of development during which individuals experience crucial changes in their social lives. Several developmental tasks appear during this transition to be accomplished by the late adolescents in order to achieve adulthood and to develop healthy psychological and social functioning. A significant task in this developmental stage is developing the ability to adapt to a new environment. This ability includes the processes of how the late adolescents effectively integrate themselves to a new culture, how they become efficient members of this new culture, and how they make sense of the elements in the new culture. In order to explore the adaptation ability, this study aimed at describing what sorts of experiences that exchange students had while they pursued some of their studies abroad. The participants were 50 undergraduate and graduate students who were attending two higher education institutions in Turkey. They were predominantly from three different regions: (a) European Union, (b) North America, and (c) Other (Australia and Ukraine). There were three main data sources: Focus group meetings were held approximately twice in a month in three rounds. The first round was done with 22 students in Ankara during October-December 2008. The second one was done with 7 students in Canakkale during December 2009 and January 2010, and the third round with 21 students in Canakkale during October-December 2010. In addition to the interviews, the participants were also asked to note down their adaptation experiences. The participants were also asked to complete a short survey after they returned to their countries. The results basically showed that the adaptation to a new culture was modifying the clashing elements between host culture and native culture and modifying those elements according to the rules in the host culture

References

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  • Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46(5), 5-34.
  • Brody, E. B. (1970). Migration and adaptation. The nature of the problem. In E. B. Brody (Ed.), Behavior in new environment: Adaptation of migrant population (pp. 13-21). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
  • Church, A.T. (1982). Sojourner adjustment. Psychological Bulletion, 91(3),540-572.
  • Durkin, K. (2008). The adaptation of East Asian masters students to western norms of critical thinking and argumentation in the UK. Intercultural Education, 19(1), 15-27.
  • EU Directorate-General for Education and Culture. (2010). Lifelong Learning Programme: Statistical overview of the implementation of the decentralized actions in the Erasmus programme in 2007/2008. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus.
  • EU Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency. (2010). The Erasmus Mundus external co-operation window (EMECW). Retrieved from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/extcoop/call/documents/ext_coop.pdf.
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  • Furnham, A., & Bochner, S. (1986). Culture shock: Psychological reactions to unfamiliar environment. London: Methuen.
  • Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York: Basic Books.
  • Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The social readjustment scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213-18.
  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, coping and appraisal. New York: Springer.
  • Miles, B. M., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. (2009). Erasmus: I am one of the two million who did it [Brochure]. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
  • Otero M.,S, & McCoshan A. (2006). Survey of the socio-economic background of Erasmus Students. Birmingham: ECOTEC Research Consulting Limited, p 1−16. See: http://www.unimb.si/dokument.aspx?id=11696. Accessed February 2011.
  • Raikou, N., & Karalis, T. (2007). Student mobility from a Greek perspective: Benefits and difficulties as expressed by the participating students. Higher Education in Europe, 32(4), 347-57.
  • Schutz, A. (1944). The stranger: An essay in social psychology. The American Journal of Sociology, 49(6), 499-507.
  • Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
  • Taylor, E. W. (1994). Intercultural competency: A transformative learning process. Adult Education Quaterly, 44(3), 154-174.
  • Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In W. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 7-24). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.
  • Teichler, U. (2004). Temporary study abroad: the life of ERASMUS students. European Journal of Education, 39(4), 395-408.
  • Zhou, Y., Jindal-Snape, D., Topping, K., & Todman, J. (2008). Theoretical models of culture shock and adaptation in international students in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 33(1), 63-75.
  • Yagcı, E., Ekinci C. E, Burgaz, B., Kelecioğlu, H.,& Ergene, T. (2007). The satisfaction levels of Hacettepe University outgoing Erasmus Students. Hacettepe University Journal of Education 33,229−239.
Year 2011, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 27 - 39, 01.12.2011

Abstract

References

  • Berry, J. W. (1994). Acculturation and psychological adaptation. In A. Bouvy, F. J. R. van de Vijver, P. Boski & P. Schmitz (Eds.), Journeys into cross-cultural psychology (pp. 129-41). Lisse: Swets and Zeitlinger.
  • Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46(5), 5-34.
  • Brody, E. B. (1970). Migration and adaptation. The nature of the problem. In E. B. Brody (Ed.), Behavior in new environment: Adaptation of migrant population (pp. 13-21). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
  • Church, A.T. (1982). Sojourner adjustment. Psychological Bulletion, 91(3),540-572.
  • Durkin, K. (2008). The adaptation of East Asian masters students to western norms of critical thinking and argumentation in the UK. Intercultural Education, 19(1), 15-27.
  • EU Directorate-General for Education and Culture. (2010). Lifelong Learning Programme: Statistical overview of the implementation of the decentralized actions in the Erasmus programme in 2007/2008. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus.
  • EU Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency. (2010). The Erasmus Mundus external co-operation window (EMECW). Retrieved from http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/extcoop/call/documents/ext_coop.pdf.
  • Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (1993). How to design and evaluate research in education (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
  • Furnham, A., & Bochner, S. (1986). Culture shock: Psychological reactions to unfamiliar environment. London: Methuen.
  • Geertz, C. (1973). The interpretation of cultures. New York: Basic Books.
  • Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The social readjustment scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213-18.
  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, coping and appraisal. New York: Springer.
  • Miles, B. M., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. (2009). Erasmus: I am one of the two million who did it [Brochure]. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
  • Otero M.,S, & McCoshan A. (2006). Survey of the socio-economic background of Erasmus Students. Birmingham: ECOTEC Research Consulting Limited, p 1−16. See: http://www.unimb.si/dokument.aspx?id=11696. Accessed February 2011.
  • Raikou, N., & Karalis, T. (2007). Student mobility from a Greek perspective: Benefits and difficulties as expressed by the participating students. Higher Education in Europe, 32(4), 347-57.
  • Schutz, A. (1944). The stranger: An essay in social psychology. The American Journal of Sociology, 49(6), 499-507.
  • Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
  • Taylor, E. W. (1994). Intercultural competency: A transformative learning process. Adult Education Quaterly, 44(3), 154-174.
  • Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. (1986). The social identity theory of intergroup behavior. In W. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 7-24). Chicago: Nelson-Hall.
  • Teichler, U. (2004). Temporary study abroad: the life of ERASMUS students. European Journal of Education, 39(4), 395-408.
  • Zhou, Y., Jindal-Snape, D., Topping, K., & Todman, J. (2008). Theoretical models of culture shock and adaptation in international students in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 33(1), 63-75.
  • Yagcı, E., Ekinci C. E, Burgaz, B., Kelecioğlu, H.,& Ergene, T. (2007). The satisfaction levels of Hacettepe University outgoing Erasmus Students. Hacettepe University Journal of Education 33,229−239.
There are 23 citations in total.

Details

Other ID JA49VB59HK
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Mehmet Ali Icbay This is me

Ercan Kocayoruk This is me

Publication Date December 1, 2011
Published in Issue Year 2011 Volume: 7 Issue: 3

Cite

APA Icbay, M. A., & Kocayoruk, E. (2011). Being an Exchange Student in Turkey: Adaptation to a New Culture. International Journal Of Progressive Education, 7(3), 27-39.