Crossing Borders International Women Students in American Higher Education

by Qin, Dongxiao

• ISBN13: 9780761844839
• ISBN10: 076184483X
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780761844846, 9780761881438
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-15
• Publisher: UPA
• More Book Details
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Summary

This book explores the processes of self-understanding that take place in a group of Chinese women studying in universities in the United States. In the past few decades, there has been an increasing number of Chinese women attending U.S. universities, yet their psychological experiences within American culture have not been a focus of study by researchers in higher education. Those who crossed geographic, cultural, and psychological borders to study in the U.S. described their change as a basic psychological process called "reweaving a fragmented self." This book contributes to the educator's understanding of the diversity of international women's student experiences, expectations, and desires. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
Background and Significance	p. 2
Theoretical Grounding	p. 3
The Inquiry	p. 7
A Critical Review of Traditional Models of Self Development	p. 14
Self in Western Psychology	p. 14
Self in Chinese Psychology	p. 16
Self in Anthropology and Cultural Psychology	p. 19
Self in Phenomenology, Symbolic Interaction and Socio-Cultural Theories	p. 21
Self in Cultural Feminist Theories	p. 23
Voices from Critical Feminist Theories	p. 29
Deconstructing Self from Postmodern Feminist Theorists	p. 32
Toward a Critical and Local Interpretation of Culture and Self	p. 33
Chinese Students in the United States	p. 35
Overview	p. 38
Grounded Theory Approach	p. 47
Methodology	p. 47
Theoretical and Epistemological Underpinnings	p. 49
Participants and Sampling	p. 51
Interview	p. 52
Data Analysis	p. 54
Identifying Processes and Phases	p. 58
Validity Issues	p. 59
Reweaving a Fragmented Self in Cross-Cultural Contexts	p. 64
Major Process: Reweaving a Fragmented Web of Self	p. 65
Being Women Students in One's Homeland: Weaving Self	p. 66
Fragmenting Self	p. 76
Becoming International Women Graduates in a New Land: Fragmenting Self	p. 95
Reweaving Self	p. 116
Summary of Processes and Variations	p. 148
Theoretical Implications	p. 153
Weaving Self in Socio-Cultural Contexts	p. 154
Fragmenting Self by Deconstructing Ways of Being in Cultural Contexts	p. 156
Reweaving Multiple Selves through Critical Cultural Elements	p. 158
Implications for Theory Building	p. 160
Implications to American Higher Education	p. 163
Assisting International Women Students in U.S. Universities	p. 163
Specific Suggestions to Faculty and Administrators in U.S. Universities	p. 164
Advice to Prospective International Women Students	p. 168
Implications to Help International Women Students in American Higher Education	p. 170
Conclusion	p. 172
Appendixes	p. 175
Bibliography	p. 183
Index	p. 189
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