Psychological and Political Violence Factors among International Students in the US - Research Paper Example

SOCIOLOGY Psychological and Political Violence Factors/Triggers among International in U.S International tend to constitute of a significant cohort in United States universities and colleges. Based on this fact, there is the need to adjust the challenges they are subjected to during their studies. The study will focus on Middle East international students with emphasis on Saudi Arabian students. Despite the increase of Saudi Arabia international university students in the United States, the literature that exists regarding psychological and political violence triggers among them is limited. The study endeavours to investigate the psychological and political factors that tend to trigger violence among Saudi Arabian students in United States. The study will focus on the students who are admitted at Arkansas Tech University. The research will also focus on some personal concerns that international students face such as racial discrimination, depression, homesickness and loneliness, which may often lead to psychological challenges such as stress. Introduction The inception of higher education opportunities for the international students in the US, as well as other countries simply came after the events of the post-World War 2. After the establishment of the Fulbright Act in the United States in 1946, a large number of international students have been attracted to take up more established programs offered in most of the universities (Schwietz, 2006). Equally important, there has been an increase of Saudi Arabian international university students seeking higher education opportunities in Arkansas Tech University in the United States. Various researchers have examined the violence triggers experienced by the international students during the cause of their learning. However, based on a review of most of the literature, there is a clear indication that most of the research regarding international students has focused more on international students originating from Asia. Despite this, there is little that is known regarding the challenges that international students from Middle East face, especially with Saudi Arabia international students (Shaw, 2010). Domestic violence, which was previously regarded as a private matter is presently recognized as a human rights and global issue. In the case of international students, majority of them may face abuse because they may find it difficult to report to the authorities. Surveys done in the US have shown that domestic violence is mainly common among university students. Domestic violence is known to have some major consequences for international students (McCue, 2008). Both physical, as well as psychological abuse often affects a student performance and attendance. International students tend to face more challenges but they may fail to disclose the domestic violence they are subjected to due to fear of deportation. In the United States, any international students that are convicted of domestic violence may end up being deported or in the future denied access to a green card. Domestic violence is a severe crime that is extensively punishable by law. Depression and racial discrimination are among the major features that cause many international students to result to violent acts. In 2007, Virginia Tech University was involved in a shooting ordeal that saw the perpetrator Seung-Hui Cho kill 32 people in the vicinity and left 17 injured. This incident was noted as America’s second largest mass shooting. Cho was a 23-year-old South Korean student at the university who was undertaking an undergraduate course up to his demise. Even though certain reports regarding Cho were disregarded based on reasons for his act, it was confirmed that Cho indeed had at one point suffered from depression during his early school learning prior to his campus life. He had speech problems and this is something that made him to be subjected to bullying during his school years (Hauser, 2007). Although there has been no direct proof based on this issue, it is assumed that Cho was also subjected to racial discrimination while schooling and these are some of the issues that are assumed to have contributed to his violent acts. This event has brought up many assumptions regarding international students and the different triggers that lead them to violence. Another incident that occurred in one of the US universities was the murder of two Indian students, which happened in Louisiana State University in 2007. This ordeal became an international incident that saw two Indian diplomats visit the United States to analyze the occurrence that led to the demise of their citizens (Nayar, 2007). It was noted that the incident occurred at an apartment where most international students are known to reside. This violent act brought more focus on international students and matters concerning their safety. It is not clear whom the executor was, but based on findings received from other international students; there was a clear indication that there was a lot of discrimination going on among them. The US government has put up legislative laws that restrict the purchase of firearms among certain individuals including students. Therefore, the government is aiming to curb triggers of violence among international students by ensuring the policies regarding firearms purchase and the safety of the international students are adhered to. Another challenge that international students face at Arkansas state university involves health issues like psychological distress, physical well-being, sicknesses, depression and headaches. A study that was conducted from Pakistan and India indicated that most international students in the United States were subjected to depressive symptoms because of prejudices that they experienced in the United States (Rahman & Rollock, 2004). The findings from the research indicated that high avoidance and high attachment anxiety were some of the strong predictors for socio-cultural adjustment and psychological distress among Asian international students. Another common challenge that Saudi Arabian international students face while in the university is the fact that they come from education system that is quite dissimilar from that of the US. In contrast to the US education system, the Saudi Arabia education system is unique based on three key aspects: emphasis on Islam, segregation of male and female education and thirdly, there is free education for all levels for both citizens and the residents. Personal concerns and health issues are some of the aspects that most international students at the university base their challenges. Violence Violence is often defined based on different aspects. However, with regards to the legal aspect, violence is the intentional use of power, physical force or actual or threatened against oneself, someone else or even against a community that may end up in injury, psychological harm, death, deprivation and mal-development (Elliot, 2001). General violence consists of acts such as theft, burglary, murder, assault among many others. On the other hand international violence is acts, which are conducted based on different nationalities. Such act may involve terror attacks. Violent terror attacks are acts that begun long ago in the history of the United States and its interaction with other countries. Before the end of World War 2, international students were restricted from accessing education from United States universities. This was because of the tension and the effect of the war that was on going. Saudi Arabia had disregarded any of their students from seeking further education in American universities. It is after the Fulbright act in 1946 that Saudi Arabia permitted their citizens to seek further university training from US universities (Schwietz, 2006). Research conducted by the department of justice in the United States indicates that personal challenges, which are related to various concerns such as racial discrimination, homesickness, interpersonal relationship, loneliness, living arrangements, financial issues and immigration regulations, may tend to cause stress among international students, thus propelling violence (Liang & Fassinger, 2008). The research also indicated that most Asian international students strongly believed that the white American students were discriminating, marginalizing and unfriendly towards them. At Arkansas state university, racial discrimination is quite a big challenge among most international students, especially those originating from Middle East. Many violent crimes in the University that have been linked to international students have seen the accused air out their grievances regarding their racial discrimination experiences. Gender Based on the religious beliefs of the devout Islamic women, they are supposed to be veiled and protected from the public. All Muslim women are expected to be covered completely when they are in the presence of the men. Therefore, when they are out of their home they are expected to wear flowing robes that cover them completely (Pharaon, 2004). As for Muslim international students, they are expected to wear veils and the flowing robes despite of their location. Based on the culture of the United States, the beliefs are quite different from that of the Saudi Arabian, thus Saudi Arabian women face some form of discrimination while attending school at the universities in US. It is the culture of Saudi Arabia that when a woman lives to study in another country a man for protection must accompany her. However, this is typically not the case and thus research studies indicate that the number of women students from Saudi Arabia studying in the US is lower compared to that of men. Violence triggers may occur because of gender issues related to their culture and beliefs (McCue, 2008). For instance, an incident at Arkansas Tech University saw a male Saudi Arabian international student attack an American student because he was disrespecting a Muslim female student who was covered in a veil. Legal action was taken against the attacker but he had no apologies as he felt the assault on the female Muslim was quite disrespectful to their religion and beliefs. Based on research studies, male international students, especially those coming from Middle East experience more discrimination as it is alleged that they are the ones who carry out violent acts with regards to the 9/11 terror attack. Age Most international students who are linked to violent crimes are usually in their teenage years. It is clearly indicated that the psychological state of a teenager is more affected by discrimination as compared to that of an adult. International students of ages of 18 to 26 are more prone to indulge in violent activities because of discrimination that is inflicted on them by their professors and other students (Elliot, 2001). For instance, a 23-year-old university student caused the Virginia Tech Shooting. Cho was just a teenager who violently expressed his anger and depression by mercilessly executing innocent students and teachers. This incident is a clear indication that most teenagers at present are involved in violent attacks. This raises concern because young people and students are becoming perpetrators to violent crimes. Social Class In many Universities, international students always tend to complain of issues regarding social class. It is alleged that most students who come from affluent families tend to look down on the students who come from poor families. This is an aspect that propagates many challenges for international students who feel that their family status is the reason as to why they are subjected to many challenges and discrimination at the university. For instance, in the Virginia Tech, the perpetrator had sent a letter to NBC news, which had indicated that one of the reasons for his shooting was because of the rich students at school who discriminated other students because on their social class. Culture Culture represents the vast structure that consists of behaviours, attitudes, beliefs, habits, language, customs, rituals, values and practices, which are unique to a particular group of people (Long, 2005). Based on the proceedings that have emerged over the past century, there has been a great form of collision between modernization and tradition in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has managed to strike a balance between cultural norms, conservative Islamic values and rapid modern advances. Cultural predisposition with regards to negotiation is an aspect that has been known to spark controversy among the students. For instance, international students from Saudi Arabia are known to carry out negotiations with some charm and at times, they may be quite persistent that it may be regarded as a threat by the school faculty. Most times such cases are reported to the board as a form of violent attack. For the students, it may not seem like an attack. Due to cultural differences that exist between international students and their new host country, it is difficult for the international students to interact with other students (Pecukonis, Doyle & Bliss, 2008). The culture of Saudi Arabia is quite different from that of the United States, therefore, when it comes to coping with international students from Saudi Arabia; the Americans find it quite difficult. Stressful situations among the students may trigger aggression due to stress related issues regarding their culture. Lack of appropriate communication due to language barrier makes most of the international students to feel that their culture is insignificant in their host country. Due to this, their social interaction is minimal as they keep to themselves most of the time. In this context, any form of violence inflicted or propelled by international students may be caused by depression. Depression mainly occurs when the students feel that they are neglected and due to culture change; it is easy for them to engage in numerous violent activities. Therefore, it is well noted that violence or the triggers of violence are influenced by culture as one of the major aspects. Religion It is impossible to stress out the impact that is exhibited of the Islam religion on the culture of the Saudi Arabians. Saudi Arabian culture can be regarded as collectivistic; therefore, it is difficult to understand it without the full grasp of Islam. All the people in Saudi Arabia are Muslims and thus Islam is their religion (Keating, 2004). International students in US, especially those originating from Middle East countries are discriminated mainly because they are often accused linkage to the terror attacks that have occurred in the past. Many people tend to associate every Muslims with events of terror attacks. However, this should not be the case. International students respond to this aspect of religion with much vigilance because every religion is sacred to its people and thus regardless of the location there should be no form of discrimination. Following the 9/11 terror attack that claimed the lives of many, most of the international students, especially the Muslims have been subjected to psychological and even physical torment from other people. The cause for this is because they are Muslims and thus they are assumed the cause of the terror attacks that have occurred. Political Affiliations In United States universities, it is quite difficult to find that an international student is in charge of any political organizations in the school. International students refrain from being involved in any political associations because of discrimination. For instance, at Arkansas States University, one international student from Saudi Arabia had decided to become a member of a political party and during voting, he was not given much attention because he was considered a Muslim, therefore, based on his culture and origin, his position and membership was not given that much attention. Economic Status Economic stability is an important aspect when it comes to matters related to education. For most international students, the economic situation of their host country mainly determines how their studying experience will be at the university. Researchers have indicated that most violent crimes that occur in universities are because of financial constraints that international students face while in their host country. Due to this, they engage in crimes that will help them gain some money for their upkeep. Saudi Arabia international students in the US are subjected to job discrimination because of the post events of the 9/11 terror attack. It is difficult for the students to get jobs because they are Muslims. Therefore, the economic status is a trigger that may lead international students to engage in violent acts. Periods when International students are violent International students tend to be more violent during full semesters. Most violent actions usually occur during the day and as a result, it is easy for other students to identify the perpetrators as international students (Elliot, 2001). For instance, during the Virginia Tech shooting, which occurred in 2007, the perpetrator Cho, who was South Korean, conducted his terrible mass shooting in the course of a full semester. One of the survivors, who was in one of the classes that were attacked stated that before Cho started shooting people, he came into the class where she was and peeped. Being weeks later after the semester had begun the survivor found it quite odd that one could not locate his class weeks after the semester had already begun. This is an indication that the perpetrator had planned his attack so that it occurred when most of the students were in school. This incident was quite traumatising as 32 of the students and the perpetrator all died. Based on the above incident, it is clear that international students who engage in violent activities mainly plan them to occur at times, whereby more people will be subjected to the tragic events that precede the attack. Another terror attack was 9/11, which occurred during the day. The events that followed this attack posed a great challenge to most of the Muslims international students. At Arkansas Tech University, some of the Muslims confided in their friends that they found it quite difficult to report to class after the attack because they were prone to more prejudice. Another issue of concern is that September is usually the time when many international students seeking to study in United States report to school. Therefore, during this period it is difficult for Saudi Arabian international students not to be subjected to discrimination because they are Muslims and the month reminds other students of the 9/11 terror attack. Other triggers that may also result to violence during this period are personal concerns such as loneliness and homesickness (Elliot, 2001). Most of the violence triggers that result from psychological stress the students face are based on the 9/11terror attack. It is from this experience that international students result into violent crimes such as theft based on the aggression and state of depression that they are subjected to. During some of the school holidays, it is difficult for international students to sustain their needs because getting jobs to sustain them at times is quite difficult. Employers often tend to discriminate against foreign students because their language and culture may prohibit them from engaging well with the customers. Since the money they receive for their maintenance from home may not be enough, it is vital that they seek some form of employment to cater for such needs. Saudi Arabian international students and other Muslims face job discrimination because Muslims are labelled as terrorists. Therefore, no employer would want to jeopardise their business because of this assumption. As a result, such students tend to engage in violent actions during their holidays to be able to earn some money. Such acts often involve burglary and theft. Discrimination Discrimination is a concept that is defined as the act of focussing on unfavourable treatment to an individual. In the university scenario, discrimination among students occurs due to aspects such as colour, race and the fact of being a foreigner. Saudi Arabian international students at Arkansas University are vulnerable to racial discrimination as well as the fact that they are Islam. Racial discrimination is a factor that has made most of the international students at the university to be aggressive to their surrounding because they cannot fit in both socially and politically with other students. Research conducted on racial discrimination has indicated that most students who experience racial discrimination are at higher chance of falling to depression as their psychological state is gravely affected by the constant bullying. Based on a research study that was conducted at Arkansas Tech University, most violent crimes that have recently occurred in the university have been linked to the foreign students. Depression is a health issue that often leads people to do certain aggressive actions that are purported to be violent due to psychological distress. A research that was recently conducted at Arkansas Tech University indicated that most students who were Muslims opted to drop out of the university because of the discrimination they received whereby they were linked to the terrorists. Such pressures resulting from terrorists allegations have made many international students to drop out and engage in violent crimes. Following the tragic terror ordeal that occurred in September 11th, most international students, especially Muslims have indicated that they are usually uncomfortable at the University and they feel that the discrimination amongst them has heightened. Many international students have been subjected to prejudice ever since the 9/11 terror attack. There have been a number of incidents experienced in US universities that have subjected international students from Middle East to have a hard time coping because of the discrimination they experience. Anti-Muslim violent crimes have been quite visible in universities since the 9/11. Many international students who are Muslims believe that 9/11 opened up more hatred and discrimination upon them because they were labelled as terrorists. Due to the harsh and adverse treatment, most Muslim international students have resulted to being aggressive in at the university and such cases have been reported to the school faculty as being violent behaviour. These students have been left no choice but to react on impulse and anxiety inflicted on them through discrimination. Amidst the fear of being labelled as criminals as stated above, Muslim international students are forced to engage in behaviours that are controlled with the frustrations that are imposed on them. Many events lead to their decision to drop out of school. International students rarely want to engage with other students either socially or politically. This is because they fear that other students may not understand their culture and thus they may fail to understand them. A lot of fear is experienced also with regards to the Government. International students tend to believe that any form of domestic violence or international violence imposed on them may be disregarded if they dare report the cases to the authority. The notion here is that the Government may result to deporting them due to lack of disbelief in the cases they have reported. Loneliness and homesicknesses are some of the personal concerns that arise in this context and they result to high stressful situations that may force such students to engage in violence acts. Culture shock International students tend to experience different challenges, which end up affecting the psychological being. One such aspect is culture shock. According to Kalervo Oberg et al, culture shock can be regarded as the anxiety, which emerges after losing all the family signs and symbols relating to social intercourse (Newman, Hartman, & Taber, 2012). International students mainly encounter the concept of culture shock because of differences in language, lifestyle, food and communication style (Newman, Hartman, & Taber, 2012). Culture shock may end up manifesting into physiological or psychological challenges because of stress. Therefore, it is better for international students to try to acculturate to be able to adapt to living and studying in the United States. During the course of experiencing culture shock, international students tend to experience four main stages: honeymoon stage, depression, autonomy and biculturalism. The honeymoon stage is when the student acts and feels more or so like a tourist. Depression occurs when the international students are overwhelmed by all the personal inadequacy, which tends to exist in the new culture. Autonomy stage is when the students can point out the good and the bad aspects in the new culture. Finally, biculturalism occurs when the students tend to be more comfortable with the new culture the same way as their culture back home (Pecukonis, Doyle & Bliss, 2008). Research studies done in the US have indicated that cultural adjustment is mainly related to the extent in which the home and host cultures tend to differ from each other. These studies also indicate that the international students that come from cultures that are quite different from that of the United States often have very difficult times trying to adjust to the lifestyle, customs and traditions. Many international students retain their collective values of their native countries. Therefore, it is quite important to place both academic and personal goals based on their countries origin. The aspect of culture shock may spark of aggression among most of the international students because they may find it quite difficult to adapt every aspect of the new culture. Results Survey The idea of this study was to inspect, describe and understand the psychological and political violence triggers that face Saudi Arabia international students who study at Arkansas Tech University, in United States. To achieve the objective of this study, a questionnaire was issued to 58 participants who were chosen to take part in the study. As a data collection method for conducting a racial discrimination survey, the use of questionnaire was the best method that could suit the surroundings. The selected questionnaire approach enabled the collection of accurate data, as students were able to air their grievances with no fear of being attacked at the end. The survey was conducted within a period of one week where by the 58 participants were able to fill out the questionnaire forms. In order to protect the participants’ confidentiality they were requested not to fill their names on the forms. Below are sections that will emphasis more on the findings of the racial discrimination survey that was conducted at Arkansas Tech University. Description of Sample The fifty eight participants were international students all studying at the Arkansas Tech University from various fields of study such as human resource, engineering, finance, education leadership among other fields. The participants were all aged between 20 to 26 years and lived in the United States in order to take up their studies. Three of the participants had come from other universities in the US and thus they were selected to distinguish the comparison and contrast between the various universities. Finally, it was noted that majority of the participants were Muslims. Participants perceptions of the issue of racial discrimination at the University were based on negative aspects as the findings of the survey indicated that a large number of students felt that racial discrimination was a major issue at Arkansas Tech University. Based on the findings, 22 participants strongly believed that racial discrimination was quite a big issue at the university. Eighteen participants strongly confirmed that they had been subjected to racial discrimination at one point by either the faculty or the staff. Twenty-one of the participants also strongly indicated that a friend had experienced racial discrimination. Academic performance Majority of international students who are subjected to racial discrimination tend to perform poorly in their schoolwork based on various challenges. For Saudi Arabian international students at Arkansas Tech University, the situation is quite noticeable. Twenty-four participants strongly indicated that racial discrimination affected their educational performance. Sixteen of the participants further indicated that their professors did not treat them fairly because of their race and beliefs. For instance, some research studies conducted have shown that international students at some point are regarded as not being able to achieve good grades in their exams. Therefore, it may be the case that an international student gets a grade A, but later the professor might change it to grade D because of their race. Effects of Racial discrimination at Arkansas Tech University There are approximately 500 international students in Arkansas Tech University and most of them feel that they are socially neglected. Most of the international students are faced with many problems based on their race. From the findings of the survey conducted on fifty-eight participants, seventeen participants strongly indicated that being an international student at the university subjected them to many problems. Twenty-one agreed, twelve were unsure, six disagreed and two strongly disagreed. Further analysis into the survey indicated that international students feared seeking help simply because no one would listen to their claims. Seventeen participants strongly agreed on this finding. Eighteen of the participants also indicated that they had seen or witnessed racial discrimination at the university. Seventeen of the participants stated that Arkansas Tech University negatively affected their opinion regarding racial discrimination. Based on the opinion of three students that had transferred from other universities in the United States they indicated that racial discrimination was at its highest level at Arkansas Tech University. Only ten students strongly agreed that they felt they were supported by the administration of Arkansas State University. International students, especially from Saudi Arabia have stated that they are subjected to a lot of racial discrimination, which tends to affect their performance as well as the psychological state. Some students felt that they needed to be transferred from the university because they could not cope any more with the unfavourable treatment that they were receiving from their professors, the staff as well as other students. Therefore, results of the racial discrimination survey was an indication that urgency needs to be taken up in order to assist the Saudi Arabian as well as other international students who are subjected to racial discrimination. Conclusion International students have been known to encounter various forms of challenges while studying in the United States. The most common aspect that propels the discrimination that they are subjected to is that of race. Racial discrimination, especially at Arkansas Tech University is a big issue that has affected most international students, especially those from Saudi Arabia. The terror attacks that have taken place in the US, especially the 9/11 attack has imposed many challenges on Muslims international students. These students are labelled as terrorists because of the fact that they are Muslims. It is because of challenges such as discrimination, loneliness, homesickness and depression that international students end up engaging in violent acts. The government as well as all the universities in the United States should ensure that international students are not subjected to any form of discrimination. Equal opportunities should be guaranteed for all students regardless of their race, culture, religion, political affiliation and economic status. Strict laws should be imposed to guarantee that the rights of all international students are not violated and if not harsh punishment should be imposed on individuals who violate this act. Therefore, Arkansas Tech University should focus more on addressing the discrimination concerns of the international students in order to advance their performance and prevent them from engaging in various violent acts. References Elliot, D.S. (2001). Violence in American schools: A new perspective. Cambridge University Press. Hauser, C. (2007). Virginia Tech Shooting Leaves 33 dead. The New York Times Pecukonis, E., Doyle, O., & Bliss, D. L. (January 01, 2008). 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