SAHRA ALTI AFRİKALI ÖĞRENCİLERİN TÜRKİYE'DE KARŞILAŞTIKLARI ZORLUKLARI VE BAŞ ETME STRATEJİLERİNİ KEŞFETME

Year 2020, , 587 - 611, 07.12.2020

Ronald Musızvıngoza

https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.672263

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Türkiye’deki Afrikalı öğrencilerin deneyimleri, belirgin kimlikleri nedeniyle diğer uluslararası öğrencilerden farklı olabilir. Bu nitel çalışma, Sahra Altı Afrika'dan gelen uluslararası öğrencilerin Türkiye’de karşılaştıkları zorlukları ve bu zorluklarla baş etme stratejilerini keşfetmektedir. Veriler, yarı-yapılandırılmış derinlemesine görüşmeler yoluyla İstanbul'da okuyan lisansüstü 17 Afrikalı öğrenciden elde edilmiştir. Bulgular; öğrencilerin çeşitli sosyo-kültürel, kişisel, psikolojik ve akademik zorluklarla karşı karşıya olduklarını göstermektedir. Öğrencilerin deneyimleri ırk, etnik köken, milliyet, cinsiyet ve özgeçmişlerine dayalı varsayımlar ve stereotiplerle şekillenmektedir. Bulgular öğrencilerin zorluklarla karşılaştıklarını gösterirken, aynı zamanda bu marjinalleştirme faaliyetlerine karşı dirençli hale geldiklerini ve bu direnci nasıl geliştirdiklerini de ortaya çıkarmaktadır. Türkiye’deki yükseköğretimin uluslararasılaşmasındaki mevcut çabalar göz önünde bulundurularak, çalışmadan elde edilen bulgular politik çıkarımlarla desteklenmiştir.

Keywords

Uluslararası öğrenciler, Afrika, Türkiye, Kesişimsellik, Zorluklar

EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES AND COPING STRATEGIES OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN STUDENTS IN TURKEY

Abstract

The experiences of African students in Turkey may be different from other international students due to their distinct identities. This qualitative study explores the challenges faced by international students from Sub Saharan Africa in Turkey and their coping strategies. Data were drawn from 17 postgraduate students from Africa studying in Istanbul through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings show that students faced a range of sociocultural, personal, psychological and academic challenges. Experiences of students were shaped by assumptions and stereotypes about their race/ethnicity, nationality, gender and background. While the findings show that students experience challenges, they also demonstrate how they have developed agency and become resilient through resisting marginalization experiences. Findings from this study have policy implications considering the current internationalization efforts of higher education in Turkey.

Keywords

International students, africa, turkey, intersectionality, challenges

References

• Altbach, P. G., & Knight, J. (2007). The internationalization of higher education: Motivations and realities. Journal of Studies in International Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315307303542
• Aras, B., & Mohammed, Z. (2019). The Turkish government scholarship program as a soft power tool. Turkish Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683849.2018.1502042 Awokoya, J. T. (2012). Identity constructions and negotiations among 1.5- and second-generation Nigerians: The impact of family, school, and peer contexts. Harvard Educational Review. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.82.2.9v77p329367116vj
• Boafo-Arthur, S. (2014). Acculturative Experiences of Black-African International Students. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-013-9194-8
• Booker, K. (2007). Dismantling Educational Inequality: A Cultural-Historical Approach to Closing the Achievement Gap. The Journal of Negro Education. Cetinkaya-Yildiz, E., Cakir, S. G., & Kondakci, Y. (2011). Psychological distress among international students in Turkey. International Journal of Intercultural Relations. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.04.001
• Chien, C.-L., & Kot, F. C. (2012). New Patterns in Student Mobility in the Southern Africa Development Community. UIS Information Bulletin.
• Collins, P. H. (2015). Intersectionality’s Definitional Dilemmas. Annual Review of Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-073014-112142
• Constantine, M. G., Anderson, G. M., Caldwell, L. D., Berkel, L. A., & Utsey, S. O. (2005). Examining the cultural adjustment experiences of African international college students: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.1.57
• Constantine, M. G., Kindaichi, M., Okazaki, S., Gainor, K. A., & Baden, A. L. (2005). A qualitative investigation of the cultural adjustment experiences of Asian international college women. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/1099-9809.11.2.162
• Cook, B., & Pullaro, N. (2010). College Graduation Rates: Behind the Numbers. American Council on Education.
• Cooper, C. L. (2018). The Intersectionality of Race and Gender in Higher Education: The Plight of the African- American Woman at a Predominantly White Institution. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004
• Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 139, 139–167. University of Chicago Legal Forum. https://doi.org/10.1016/0011-9164(90)80039-E
• Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review. https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039
• Creswell, J., & Poth, C. N. (2017). Qualitative inquiry and research design; Choosing among five approaches, second edition. The Journal of Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-3476(89)80781-4
• Dziwornu, M. G., Yakar, M., & Temurçin, K. (2016). Migration Intentions of International Students in Turkey: A Case Study of African Students at Süleyman Demirel University. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, (38), 227–250.
• Flahaux, M. L., & De Haas, H. (2016). African migration: trends, patterns, drivers. Comparative Migration Studies. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40878-015-0015-6
• Flateland, S. M., Pryce-Miller, M., Skisland, A. V. S., Tønsberg, A. F., & Söderhamn, U. (2019). Exploring the experiences of being an ethnic minority student within undergraduate nurse education: A qualitative study. BMC Nursing, 18(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-019-0389-0
• Gebhard, J. (2012). International Students’ Adjustment Problems and Behaviors. Journal of International Students.
• Gildersleeve, R. E., Croom, N. N., & Vasquez, P. L. (2011). “Am i going crazy?!”: A critical race analysis of doctoral education. Equity and Excellence in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2011.539472
• Heng, T. T. (2018). Coping strategies of international Chinese undergraduates in response to academic challenges in U.S. colleges. Teachers College Record. Hunting, G. (2014). Intersectionality-informed qualitative research: A primer. Criminology.
• Icbay Mehmet Ali, K. E. (2011). Being an Exchange Student in Turkey: Adaptation to a New Culture. International Journal Of Progressive Education.
• Khawaja, N. G., & Stallman, H. M. (2011). Understanding the coping strategies of international students: A qualitative approach. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling. https://doi.org/10.1375/ajgc.21.2.203
• Li, J., Wang, Y., & Xiao, F. (2014). East Asian International Students and Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review. Journal of International Students.
• Lu, Y., Chui, H., Zhu, R., Zhao, H., Zhang, Y., Liao, J., & Miller, M. J. (2018). What Does “Good Adjustment” Mean for Chinese International Students? A Qualitative Investigation. Counseling Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000018824283
• Marcketti, S. B., Mhango, M. W., & Gregoire, M. B. (2006). the Experiences of African Graduate Students in a College of Human Sciences, 24(1), 63–69.
• Mwangi, C. A. G., Changamire, N., & Mosselson, J. (2019). An intersectional understanding of African international graduate students’ experiences in U.S. higher education. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000076
• Nazir, T. (2019). International Student ’ s Challenges and Adjustment in Turkish Universities , A Case Study Based on Ankara. 4. Uluslararası Öğrenciler Sosyal Bilimler Kongresi - Bildiriler Kitabı I Introduction, 531–542.
• Neuman, W. L. (2011). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Pearson Education.
• Nichols, S., & Stahl, G. (2019). Intersectionality in higher education research: a systematic literature review. Higher Education Research and Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1638348
• Núñez, A. M. (2014). Employing Multilevel Intersectionality in Educational Research: Latino Identities, Contexts, and College Access. Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X14522320
• Okusolubo, G. S. (2018). Academic and Social Challenges Faced by African International Students in Collegiate institutions in America. International Journal of Economics & Management Sciences. https://doi.org/10.4172/2162-6359.1000514
• Özoğlu, M., Gür, B. S., & Coşkun, İ. (2015). Factors influencing international students’ choice to study in Turkey and challenges they experience in Turkey. Research in Comparative and International Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499915571718
• Park, H., Lee, M. J., Choi, G. Y., & Zepernick, J. S. (2017). Challenges and coping strategies of East Asian graduate students in the United States. International Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872816655864
• Poteet, M., & Gomez, B. (2015). “ It’s Both Ways": How International Students Negotiate Belonging in Local and Global Contexts Résumé. Journal of New Brunswick Studies, 6(1), 83–102. Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/JNBS/article/view/23061/26776
• Redžepagić-Bulić, N. (2015). International Students in Turkey: Main Problems Related to Poor Academic Performance. Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry, 2(5). https://doi.org/10.15406/jpcpy.2015.02.00085
• Rizvi, F. (2011). Theorizing student mobility in an era of globalization. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2011.625145
• Robinson, S. J. (2013). Spoketokenism: Black women talking back about graduate school experiences. Race Ethnicity and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2011.645567
• Shinn, D. (2015). Turkey’s Engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa Shifting Alliances and Strategic Diversification. The Royal Institute of International Affairs.
• Silverman, D. (2006). Interpreting Qualitative Data: Methods for Analyzing Talk, Text and Interaction - David Silverman - Google Books.
• Snoubar, Y. (2017). International Students in Turkey: Research on Problems Experienced and Social Service Requirements. Journal of International Social Research, 10(50), 800–808. https://doi.org/10.17719/jisr.2017.1712
• Snoubar, Y., & Celik, G. (2013). Cultural Differences of International Students in Turkey and Problems they Experience. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.087
• Somniso, M., Cekiso, M., Tshotsho, B., & Lydy, M. (2016). Exploring the Coping Strategies Employed by Congolese Students in a South African University. International Journal of Educational Sciences, 12(3), 212–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/09751122.2016.11890428
• Sparks, D. M. (2019). " We Are Shaped by Our Experiences ” Intersectionality and the African International STEM Student. Research in the Schools, (September).
• Steffensmeier, D., Painter-Davis, N., & Ulmer, J. (2017). Intersectionality of Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Age on Criminal Punishment. Sociological Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1177/0731121416679371
• Teferra, D., & Altbach, P. G. (2004). African higher education: Challenges for the 21st century. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:HIGH.0000009822.49980.30
• Titrek, O., Erkiliç, A., Süre, E., Güvenç, M., & Temür Pek, N. (2016). The Socio-cultural, Financial and Education Problems of International Postgraduate Students in Turkey. Universal Journal of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2016.041320
• Titrek, O., Hashimi, S. H., Ali, A. S., & Nguluma, H. F. (2016). Challenges faced by international students in Turkey. Anthropologist. https://doi.org/10.1080/09720073.2016.11892000
• Urban, E. L., & Palmer, L. B. (2014). International Students as a Resource for Internationalization of Higher Education. Journal of Studies in International Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315313511642
• Wu, H., Garza, E., & Guzman, N. (2015). International Student’s Challenge and Adjustment to College. Education Research International. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/202753
• YÖK. (n.d.). YÖK 2018-2019 Yükseköğretim İstatistikleri Yayımlandı. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from https://www.yok.gov.tr/Sayfalar/Haberler/2018-2019-Yuksekogretim-istatistikleri-yayimlandi.aspx
• Yoon, E., & Portman, T. A. A. (2004). Critical issues of literature on counseling international students. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2004.tb00359.x
• YTB. (n.d.). “17 Thousands of 150,000 International Students in Turkey are Recipients of YTB Scholarships.” Retrieved January 6, 2020, from https://www.ytb.gov.tr/en/news/17-thousands-of-150-000-international-students-in-turkey-are-recipients-of-ytb-scholarships
• Yükselir, C. (2018). International students’ academic achievement and progress in turkish higher education context: Students’ and academics’ views. Universal Journal of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2018.060522