Academic Exchange Quarterly
Spring 2004 ISSN 1096-1453
Volume 8, Issue 1
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Intergroup Perception of International
Students
Jóse Saura Sánchez,
José Saura is English teacher in the International Relations
Service of Murcia University (Spain) and member of the research group “Cultural
Studies in English and German Speaking Countries” of the Department of English
Philology.
Abstract
Intercultural Relations Studies are concerned with the analysis of
intergroup behaviour within contexts of cultural diversity. Scholars agree that
intercultural contact is an emotionally intense experience for the participants
and challenging for researchers and educators (Paige, 2002). This exploratory
study examined Spanish students’ perception of international students within
the university context. We examined a sample of seventy-four Spanish students
attending an English course at a university in the South of
Theoretical
foundations
During the
last ten years, the emphasis on intercultural communication has shifted from
cultural-specific issues towards the mutual understanding of host country and
guest populations. Similarly, approaches to cultural diversity are assuming an
intercultural perspective (i.e., intergroup contact and communication) rather
than a multicultural posture (i.e., the presence and consideration of other
cultures). Numerous studies on intercultural relations have dealt with the
problems arising from the inherent influence our cultural background has on
intercultural interaction. The Contact Hypothesis put forward by Allport (1954)
proposed that, under certain circumstances, contact with members of a
“disliked” group may lead to the growth of respect and liking, or, at least,
the decrease of negative attitudes towards that group.
The present
study focused on a multicultural educational context that in advance -after a
previous phase of research-setting observation and participation- seemed to be
characterized by intergroup distance between Spanish university students and foreign
university students. Contact between members of different groups has been often
considered as an affective way to reduce intergroup conflict. However,
Piontkowski (2000) criticizes this view explaining that contact without
cooperation and a common goal does not reduce hostility, but may rather
increase it. Berry et al (1992)
refers to the assumption that social contact, under certain conditions, can
have positive influence on attitudes towards outgroups. But he warns that
awareness of cultural differences in relation to the outgroup
may turn into the perception of a “threat” to the cultural identity of the
dominant group. In that case, outgroup discrimination may increase and
impermeable group boundaries appear. Corson (1995) posits that it is inevitable
that some cultural realities are incompatible. Referring to the same point,
Corson argues that this is so because unfavourable attitudes inevitably appear
when different cultural values and worldviews get into contact. Fox (1997)
notes that negative attitudes towards the “other” stems from assumptions based
on stereotyping and attitudes of superiority over other ethnic groups.
Moreover, Giles and Robinson (1980) demonstrated that the factor of
intercultural contact is not enough to dispel intergroup prejudice and
xenophobic attitudes, and, as a consequence, to improve intercultural
relations.
Within the
vast amount of research on factors constraining intercultural relations, many
authors emphasize the importance of intercultural perception for its impact on
inter-group and intra-group cognition, attitudes and behaviour. In this study,
the factor perception of the ethnic ingroup and other groups as well as the
social contact setting is a major intercultural determinant. Some of the
publications we have reviewed put forward the theory that, in multicultural
contexts, the mere presence of a foreign group may give rise to negative
attitudes on the part of the national group towards the guest community and, as
a result, create unfavourable intergroup behaviours (Brown, 1988; Stephan &
Stephan, 1996; Barna, 1998; Spencer-Rodger & McGovern, 2002).
Scholars dealing with intercultural experience
in contexts of cultural diversity agree that intercultural experiences are
emotionally intense for the participants and challenging for intercultural
educators and trainers (Paige, 2002). From Bennett's theory on perception and
intercultural sensitivity (1986), it can be stated that intercultural
perception organize intergroup orientations (attitudes) towards the outgroup. Dominant ethnic groups members tend to
perceive and emphasize difference in
those situations in which a foreign ethnic group is present. When cultural difference is not
understood, unfavourable attitudes to intergroup contact usually emerge (Donald
& Rattansi, 2000). Tajfel (1981) suggests that foreign ethnic group members
may be stereotyped by national dominant groups without, in many cases, any
previous contact experience or just with a superficial contact.
Finally, it
is also relevant to notice that increasing number of the world’s people
international movements and migration make contact with cultural difference
inevitable. Within the microcontext of university, local student community face
domestic multicultural issues than can be normally experienced in the larger
social macrocontext. There exists the popular assumption that students in
international educational institutions have a higher degree of intercultural
sensitivity due to increased mobility and contact with other cultures (Willis
& Enloe, 1990; Straffon, 2003). In contrast, other theories assume that the
confrontation with the complexity and diversity of a new culture reinforces
people’s natural tendency to adhere to what is known and familiar. Such
orientation to culture difference may result in, for example, social distance
and defense or separatist attitudes (Bennett, 1986; Nesdale & Mak, 2003:
25).
Objectives
Bottom of Form 0
The main
issues addressed in the present research concerned (1) the way perception of
cultural difference affects interethnic attitudes of Spanish students within
the university context. Accordingly, the specific objectives were (2) to
explore how Spanish university students perceive foreign students within the
domestic university setting; (3) to determine which attitudes are expressed
towards international students’ presence; and, more specifically, (4) which
attitudes they show towards cultural differences they observe in the
international student community.
Respondents
According to the research project, the focus
population consisted of Spanish university students. Participants were
conveniently selected from seven groups of students attending quarterly English
courses at a university in southern
Data comprised the information
gathered from the administration of a research questionnaire. Statements that
the respondents expressed must be understood from the point of view of Spanish
students, as dominant/majority cultural group and part of the host university
community. Therefore, the information we obtained corresponded to personal
opinions and evaluations referring to the multicultural situation of their
international university context and the kind of attitudes and behaviour they
observe between Spanish students and international students.
Data collection
Data was collected through the research
questionnaire, previously validated in a study on ethnic attitudes and
intercultural assumptions (Saura & Barón, 2001). It was designed in
Spanish, and consisted of two parts. Part
I comprised a test of three demographical items and five questions on
contact experience. Such questions cantered on the categories of "contact
experience with foreign people”, “contact experience in a foreign
university", and “quantity of contact”. On the other hand, Part II comprised an open-ended survey
of nine questions on "type of intergroup relations inside the
university", "interethnic attitudes", "intercultural
problems and conflict", "stereotypes", "prejudices",
and "intercultural assumptions and expectations". The study was
carried out in a state university in the south of
Data analysis
Once data
were gathered and computerized in a linguistic corpus, the Ethnographic Content Analysis Model was applied. The ECAM is based
on the content analysis procedure proposed by Ghillam (2000). The model was
developed as an analytical tool designed for the study of semantic content
expressed in text form. The ECAM was applied to information obtained in the
open-ended survey. The analysis comprised three phases: Stage I, variables codification, ideas contained
in respondents’ statements are identified and then codified into variables
which are then included in general categories; Stage II, Variable quantification,
categories are filed in a database and then perceptually quantified; and Stage
III, discussion, is the phase of the
explanation and interpretation of results.
Discussion
of results
Opinions on
the focus contact situation indicated that there are almost no relations between
the Spanish students and the international students. Results showed that 87%
acknowledged not relating with the foreign group. Reports on the type of
contact situation they observe inside the university evidenced that relations
are sporadic and mainly superficial (52.7%). Some surveyed students consider
the lack intergroup contact as a normal situation. However, a high percentage
(70.1%) considers that such lack of interaction is unfavourable. This
information revealed that we were dealing with what Isenberg (1986) calls
“group polarization”. Accordingly,
94% stated that international students isolate themselves into culturally
homogeneous groups. Their explanations for group polarization look for
justification in the idea that they seek for “co-ethnic support”. Their reports
maintain that the criterion for “group-membership” is to share the circumstance
of being “foreign” students. Furthermore, 62.9% think that the foreign group is
separatist and unwilling to start any social contact.
On the
other hand, there exists a contrasting view in which Spanish students show
indifference towards the foreign presence (62.9%). Similarly, a low percentage
of our respondents (17.4%) thinks that other Spanish
students are willing to be in contact with foreign students. Consensus was
achieved in the statement that there are not hostile behaviours among cultural
groups. Even answers reporting communication problems (36.4%) such as
misunderstandings or cultural shock observe that those problems never lead to
conflict. All opinions complaining of the lack of contact evidenced that these
respondents want the situation to be improved. Nevertheless, 78.8% claimed that
the university should deal with the improvement of intergroup relations. Even
more revealing was to find that 94.7% think that such a situation should be
managed by means of intercultural programs.
There were different orientations towards the
foreign group's presence and, mostly, to the possibility of contact. We found
more opinions standing for interethnic attitudes that can be considered
unfavourable (65.7%) than favourable (34.7%). The percentage of respondents who
made explicit their favourable attitudes through statements such as
"desire to contact" (36.4%), "expectation of intercultural relations"
(36.5%), and "empathy and sympathetic attitudes to the foreign group’s situation " (22%) resulted to be quite low. Only 3.8%
got their expectations of intercultural experience fulfilled. From this low
percentage, a sense of disappointment can be felt regarding their willingness
and expectations of contact.
Regarding
unfavourable attitudes, an important percentage (81.2%) is open to contact, but
international students must be first to decide to get into contact. The
surveyed students also explained how Spanish students always help foreign
students “when they ask for some help”. This attitude is linked to the
assumption that Spanish students, as the dominant group, take the “correct
role”. This seems to be a shared ideological position that is connected to the
idea that it is the foreign community that should integrate themselves into the
Spanish community, and, as a result, take the initiative to establish any
intercultural contact (62.9%).
There is no
piece of information that uncovers any negative attitude regarding the fact
that the other group is foreign. In fact, 90.1% stated that international
students are as accepted as any other university student. However, negative
attitudes are implicit when domestic students referred to anxiety they feel
when they have to interact with a foreign student, mainly because they are
“people who have a different culture, worldview and language” and who “behave
in a different way”. In the same sense, 86% think there exists
fear of intergroup encounters since cultural differences prevent satisfactory
intergroup relations.
According
to theories in the line of argument of Brown (1988), Stephan & Stephan
(1996), Barna (1998) or Spencer-Rodger & McGovern (2002), findings
indicated that the “foreign presence” creates more unfavourable interethnic
attitudes than positive ones in those respondents who think that the contact
with international students will have negative consequences. In contrast, only
12% of the participants expressed their desire for intergroup relations and
8.4% had expectation of intercultural contact. However, the foreign presence
creates more fears and unfavourable attitudes in those respondents who argued
that the intergroup contact is going to be a negative experience (81.2%). As a
justification for this argument, 91.3% of these respondents explained that
Spanish students do not try to get into contact because this is not the role of
the host community group and because international students isolate forming
culturally homogeneous groups.
This study also demonstrates that the foreign
presence gives rises to a higher percentage of negative attitudes in those
respondents who perceive differences as unfavourable for intercultural
relations (86%). The British presence creates more fears and negative attitudes
both in those respondents who expect a negative experience and in those who
consider cultural difference as a constraining factor for positive favourable
relations.
As predicted in the reviewed literature, after
positive intergroup contact, perceptions and feelings about both the outgroup and the intercultural contact situation change.
The analysis revealed that contact favours positive perceptions of linguistic
differences. In fact, only 1.66% of the surveyed subjects who had experienced a
positive intercultural contact inside the university fear the consequences of a
possible contact experience. However, contrary to more optimistic theories
about the effects of contact, an unexpected outcome indicated that
intercultural contact experience, even though it had been positive, does not
make unfavourable perceptions of cultural differences disappear. Most of the
respondents who had lived an intergroup contact experience understand that
difference makes difficult that successful relations may be established
(99.1%). Thus, difference is
perceived as a “stumbling block” for intergroup relations. Overall, content
analysis suggested that when a possible encounter is regarded, a fear of what
is different to the Spanish group’s culture, lifestyle, and worldview appears.
Moreover, such a significant finding goes further hinting at the idea that
intercultural contact makes individuals even more conscious of “difference” and its possible effects
on intergroup communication.
Conclusions and further research
These
findings demonstrated that, at first, the mere presence of international
students does not represent a negative factor for the host student community.
However, the foreign group is negatively perceived when a potential
communicative interaction is considered. Consequently, unfavourable attitudes
towards international students are directly related to such perception when the
other group’s presence implies a social encounter. In multicultural settings,
differences must be explained in order to achieve understanding and intergroup
harmony from first contact experience to interaction and communication.
In order to
confirm possible generalization for our findings, further research experiences
must be carried out in comparable samples and settings. The university context
can be used as a research site for exploring issues around cultural diversity
and contact situation between guest foreign groups and host national
communities. Due to the kind of experience these students have in the
multicultural situation they are immersed in, they are a compelling research
population. Studies on this line of research can provide insights for
educators, trainers and researchers concerned with intercultural matters and
inform curriculum and policy decisions in school and colleges (Straffon, 2003).
Ethnographies on group attitudes and perceptions must continue developing
qualitative as well as quantitative, rigorous studies for further
generalizations. The analysis of specific groups’ perceptions of cultural
diversity is currently a very demanding task.
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