Abstract
This ethnographic study examines how participation in a Christian church community shapes Chinese international undergraduate students’ social experiences in an American university. Our findings reveal that Chinese international undergraduate students identify the church and its fellowship as (1) a social support community and (2) an informal learning community, one which fills in the gap in counseling services and interpersonal activities that the university fails to offer. Recommendations are made for higher education institutions to provide stronger support for international students, regardless of their nationalities and religions.
Highlights
Over the last few decades, the number of international students in the American higher education system has increased significantly
The study was guided by the following research question: How does participation in Christian fellowship shape Chinese international students’ social experiences? To answer this question, we conducted a study on international student participants of a Chinese Christian church and fellowship located in an American college town in the Northeast
This study focused on the social experiences of Chinese international undergraduate students who participated in a Chinese Christian community nearby campus
Summary
Over the last few decades, the number of international students in the American higher education system has increased significantly. Chinese international students have contributed to American higher education institutions academically, financially, and culturally (Chapdelaine and Alexitch 2004; Hanassab and Tidwell 2002). Owing to cultural and language barriers, many Chinese international students are reluctant to express their personal problems to American professors, peers, and counselors. Many Chinese international students are first introduced to unregulated Christian communities when they come to the United States. This unique context adds important nuances to the religious experiences of Chinese international students and to the formation of their religious-based support system. The article proceeds as follow: We first provide a review of the literature on Chinese international students’ experiences in American higher education and with Christianity. The article concludes with a discussion of the research findings and recommendations for higher education institutions
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