Structurational Divergence for Tongan Students in Higher Education: Navigating Conflicting Cultural and Higher-Educational Structures

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates experiences of Tongan–American students who navigate conflicting cultural structures in the United States. Findings revealed that the intersection of conflicting structures creates a crisis of belonging in participants, which manifests through several negative outcomes. We also identified strategies students employed to reconcile the conflicting demands and expectations inherent in Tongan culture and in higher education. While most of these strategies maintain the rules and resources that make up each structure, one emergent strategy functions to fundamentally change the structures to more effectively accommodate the needs of students. These findings have important implications for institutions of higher education seeking to foster cultures of inclusion and to improve retention rates for marginalized groups.