Why International Students Prefer Co-National Friendship Groups - Coursework Example

Running head: Why international students prefer co-national friendship groups Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name 23, 10, 2010 Outline 1. Introduction 2. How do we interact with others 3. Why do international students stick to their own kind 4. Are co-national relationships problematic 5. Conclusion Introduction With the growth of globalization, many students are seeking to advance their studies abroad. International students find it easier to make friends with their co-nationals, while encounter difficulties in making friends with the natives. We will try to explore the reasons as to why this is so, challenges international students face in making friends and the impact of co-national relationships. We believe that cultural diversity is inevitable in a world that is increasingly becoming global hence the need to promote and embrace cultural differences. How do we interact with others? . The individualists according to Tan and Goh (2006) mainly focus on the need of the individual and society is made up of many such independent individuals. Collectivists on the other hand view themselves as a group whose primary concern is the needs of that group. It is these different views that affect how we communicate. Most western cultures such as Australia are associated with individualist’s views as depicted in their interpersonal relationships where their inner characteristics take center stage in the relationship. Interdependency seeks to alter inner characteristics to fit the current situation in the relationship, a feature associated with non- Western cultures. This is not perceived as weakness but rather a sense of maturity and self control. It is important to note that a society cannot be entirely individualistic or collective but the separation is for the purposes of study (Tan & Goh 2006). In a study carried out in an Australia university to determine how different students from different cultural backgrounds perceived competence in communication, sense of belonging was found to be a major factor for any successful relationship. While Australian students were found to be individualistic in their encounters, students from non Western countries need for a sense of belonging was rooted from the need of security as depicted by their interdependence nature. This attribute affected their communication patterns as seen by the individuality in Australian students where they interacted based on similar interests. Non-Western students placed value to how other people felt in the process of communication thereby gaining a sense of security (Tan & Goh 2006). Why do International students stick to their own kind? According to Kudo and Simkin (2003), successful development of friendships depends on; how often people communicate, common interests shared openness and willingness to accommodate other nationals. Japanese students admit that most of their friends were acquired as a result of the given circumstances such as shared dormitories or classes. It is difficult to make Australian friends because most locals go home after classes and are busy with their families while Japanese students reside in the campus. Sharing of a common language facilitates creation of friendship and ensures they last long as language sharing gives a sense of affiliation (Pedersen 2002). International students will tend to stick to their co-national groups as they share the same language and can communicate with them effectively. For the majority of International students, English is not their native language and will therefore communicate in a language they feel competent in. This will automatically pull them to those of their own kind as they do not understand the slang used by the Australian students. Speaking ones native language also gives one a sense of being home away from home hence the co-national relationships. Australian students feel that International students should not speak their native language regularly as this made them to feel excluded. They should make an attempt to speak English even if poor as they made an independent decision to study in Australia thus they should also make an effort to know the local language (Kudo & Simkin 2003). Brown (2009) describes culture sharing as critical for personal interaction and sharing of ideas. The more common understanding of culture, the more relationship and understanding is created. As evident in the University of South England, international students prefer making friendship with their co-national because of shared cultures and interests. This case can also be observed in Australian universities where china students are observed to make friends with their co-nationals. Ward (2002) agrees that international students find it difficult to make friends and therefore are likely to engage in co-national friendships. According to kudo and simkin (2003), sharing the same networks played a major role in developing new friends among international students although the same could not be said of the Australians. Majority of international students such as Chinese and Malaysian feel that friendship is based on give and take a view not shared by many Australian students. According to the international students, a friendship based on mutual benefits is likely to succeed. International students take friendships to a personal level by exchanging gifts and favors with each other, not because they feel obliged to but out of feelings of their own free will thereby enhancing such relationships. In such relationships, members of the group considered themselves a social network where one could run to for favors or when in difficult situations. As such, assistance and favors tend to be given to members of the same social networks hence the need to stick together. For the Australians, friendships are more successful when based on sincerity hence they disregard the give and take element in making friends. Tan and Goh (2006) suggest that that in managing conflict, most of the International students will tend to be indirect and less aggressive with the objective of maintaining the relationship, while the Australians are more honest in solving conflicts. When a party is held in an Australian neighborhood, a Chinese student would find it difficult to tell them to tone down the noise but if a Chinese student is holding a party that is loud, an Australian would not hesitate to knock on their door and request them to tone down the noise. Socialization of a child affects how they communicate with others. Australians are brought up to believe in their own opinions and therefore are bold in open discussions during their lessons. International students appear reserved for fear of giving a wrong answer. In this way, their communication patterns are influenced and will therefore tend to communicate in environments that favor their opinions thereby enhancing co-national relationships (Tan & Goh 2006). It is true that most international students like making friendships with their fellow co-nationals because of the shared language, heritage, understanding and support that they get from them. It is therefore true as claimed by Brown (2009) that international students prefer co-nationals to others in their daily transactions. Are conational relationships problematic? While acknowledging that co-national relationships are important in adjusting to the new environment, they can deter personal growth and development if not well checked. Brown (2009) sees a possibility of remaining ‘monocultural’ if one maintains relations from his own background only. By maintaining ones traditions, one is likely to be excluded by the mainstream society as conflicts from individuals and societal expectations are likely to occur. One is likely to get limited exposure to other cultures hence minimize the chances of gaining from cross cultural contacts. Brown (2009) further argues that conational friendships discouraged students from being independent and that such students are difficult to approach. International students hang out in small groups and speak the same language thus making it difficult for an outsider to approach and join such individuals. It is difficult for such students to continue with their normal day to day activities and seem withdrawn when alone as they are used to being in a group. Ward (2002) is of the view that foreign students can benefit from interacting with local students by obtaining information in addition to material support during their transition. By choosing to interact with international students only, foreign students miss the opportunity of improving their English which could be enhanced by speaking and making friends with Australian students. We cannot rule out the importance of conational relations in assisting foreign students to adjust to their new environment. In a foreign country, one would be stranded on where to shop for essential commodities at an affordable rate putting ones cultural preference in mind. Getting to know ones way around the campus among the things mentioned above also requires someone you are able to communicate with easily and has an understanding of your background. This brings the importance of co-national relationships during transitioning into perspective. adapt to their new culture for success in their academics. Conclusion Embracing cultural differences will go a long way in promoting international relations and personal growth to both domestic and international students. Its success depends on willingness to change attitudes towards new cultures while attempting to find a common level for communication, to break the language barrier and accommodate other cultures. Structures in Universities should be those that promote inter cultural friendships by increasing the frequency international and local students meet. Successes of international students in their academics depend on their adaptability to the new culture. Read More