Challenges in obtaining employment in China: Lived experiences of Australian Chinese graduates

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-163
Author(s):  
Jasvir Kaur Nachatar Singh
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Scholarly Work ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Barriers To Employment ◽  
Successful Employment ◽  
Australian Universities

Previous scholarly work has elaborated on challenges faced by Chinese international returnees at Chinese workplaces. However, limited research has captured to what extent such challenges have involved Chinese Australian graduates in gaining employment in China. Hence this study investigates the challenges involved in obtaining successful employment in China. Drawing on a qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 Chinese graduates who studied at one Australian university and returned to China upon graduation. The study results highlight significant barriers to employment. Challenges include limited prior working experience, graduation in Australia that is not synchronised with employment months in China and lack of guanxi. This study provides important insights into barriers of employment in China for Chinese returnees from Australia and, potentially, for graduate returnees from other countries to China. It also discusses implications for Australian universities and for Chinese international students in Australia.

Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Convicted of Violent Crimes into the Community in the Iranian Context: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 0306624X2110226
Author(s):  
Mohammad Sabzi Khoshnami ◽  
Fardin Alipour ◽  
Maliheh Arshi ◽  
Hassan Rafiey ◽  
Mohhamad Hossein Javadi
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Violent Crimes ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Reducing Recidivism ◽  
Iranian Context

Community reintegration of ex-offenders is a main issue for reducing recidivism. This article aims to explain the process of reintegration into the community based on the experiences of people who have been convicted of violent crimes in Iran. A qualitative study based on grounded theory was conducted in 2020 in Tehran/Iran. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 26 participants. An institutional review board approved the study. Results indicate that the “worry trap” is the main challenge that those convicted of violent crimes face upon reentry into society. If these individuals are provided with governmental and non-governmental services and support, they can move toward “restoring their lost social capital.” The “redefinition of an independent identity” is a consequence of released individuals’ struggle to restore their lost social capital. Further research exploring the causality of social capital and improved outcomes after release from prison and reentry to community is needed.

scholarly journals The Lived Experiences of Chinese International Students Preparing for the University-To-Work Transition: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Lertora ◽  
Jeffrey Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
College And University ◽  
Work Transition ◽  
The University

Chinese international students have been the largest growing number of international students on U.S. college and university campuses for the last ten years. However, there is minimal research literature that pertains to Chinese international students’ experiences on U.S. campuses and currently no research literature that reflects the entirety of their experience studying in the U.S. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to give a voice to Chinese international students who are preparing for the university-to-work transition to better understand their experiences as international students in the United States, specifically the types of transitional stressors they experienced and how they coped with these stressors. Five major themes and the essence of the participants emerged from the data analysis and are presented, discussed, and implication for campus based mental health professionals are provided.

scholarly journals Responding to rural adversity: a qualitative study of alcohol and other drug service users’ experiences of service response to COVID-19 in Western Australia’s Southwest

2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622110361
Author(s):  
Mathew Coleman ◽  
Michael Taran ◽  
Beatriz Cuesta-Briand
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Southwest Region ◽  
The Impact

Objective This study reports on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lived experiences of people with substance use problems in accessing services in the Southwest region of Western Australia, and its implications for preparedness in a context of rural adversity. Method This was a qualitative study informed by the principles of phenomenology. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and subjected to thematic analysis. Results Twenty-two participants were interviewed. Two main themes were identified: disruption to supportive connections; and bridging the connection gap: local service response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions exacerbated social isolation and mental health issues, and disrupted services and treatment in the Southwest. Our results demonstrate that local alcohol and other drug services in rural areas can successfully respond to crises by assertively and flexibly adapting their service provision.

scholarly journals South Sudanese or Australian or Both or Caught in Between? A Qualitative Study Examining Identity Among South Sudanese Refugees Living in Sydney, Australia.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine Vaughan ◽  
Tafadzwa Nyanhanda ◽  
Sabitra Kaphle ◽  
Jenny Kelly ◽  
Lal Rawal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
South Sudanese ◽  
Sudanese Refugees

Abstract Background: The majority of the current South Sudanese population in Australia arrived as refugees in the early 2000s, facing challenges related to dislocation, navigating a new culture while honouring their own own. Much of the research on the South Sudanese experience has been conducted in the early years after arrival, with resettlement stressors likely to influence narratives of identity as new immigrants.This study aimed to understand the lived experiences of identity among South Sudanese who are long-term residents of Australia after fleeing their birth country, migration, and re-building their lives.Methods: The qualitative study was underpinned by a phenomenological framework that characterised the experiences of study participants. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to recruit Sydney-residing adults who arrived in Australia through its humanitarian refugee program 10 or more years ago and were born in South Sudan. Semi-structured interviews explored how participants identified themselves in Australia, changes in their experiences over time, their social and general life situation in Australia, and perceptions (self and other) of South Sudanese people in Australia.Results: The 26 participants from refugee backgrounds all had similar experiences of dislocation, most arriving in Australia 10-19 years ago with family members. Most participants were in employment and had attained (sometimes multiple) educational qualifications.Participants described a multiplicity of interconnected domains that governed the negotiating and making sense of identity. Three key themes were identified: mutable identities - dependent on context; Identity in relation to children; and the influence of limited opportunities. These themes were mediated by other interwoven personal and structural factors that shaped experience and perception. Expressions of hope, pride and achievement were threaded through several of the interviews, particularly in relation to their children. There was also frustration related to employment challenges and discrimination that limited identity reconstruction.Conclusions: Our exploration of long-term lived experiences for South Sudanese migrants highlights the evolving and often conflicting factors that shape domains of integration and identity construction. The deeper, more nuanced understandings of bicultural identity within a strengths-based framework calls for better partnerships and services to support strengthened community and acculturalisation.

scholarly journals Three Levels of Push-Pull Dynamics Among Chinese International Students’ Decision to Study Abroad in the Canadian Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Mian Chen
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Student Migration ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Migration Flows ◽  
The Individual

The extant literature on student migration flows generally focus on the traditional push-pull factors of migration at the individual level. Such a tendency excludes the broader levels affecting international student mobility. This paper proposes a hybrid of three levels of push-pull dynamics (micro−individual decision-making, meso−academic marketing, and macro−national marketing) to paint a more accurate picture of student migration flows. A case study of 15 semi-structured interviews with Chinese international students at a Canadian university was conducted to illuminate the underresearched reality that universities and Canada as a nation offer additional incentives, in conjunction with individual/familial reasons, for study abroad. The paper concludes with recommendations for new research directions arising from the present study.

scholarly journals Adoption of non-Chinese Names as Identity Markers of Chinese International Students in Japan

Names ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinyan Chen
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Personal Identity ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Personal Names ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Student Power ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Identity Markers ◽  
Naming Practices

This study explores naming practices among Chinese international students and their relation to personal identity during their sojourn in Japan. Although previous studies have reported that some Chinese international students in English-speaking countries adopt names of Western origin (Cotterill 2020; Diao 2014; Edwards 2006), participants in this study were found to exhibit different naming practices: either adopting names of Japanese or Western origin; or retaining both Western and Japanese names. Drawing on fifteen semi-structured interviews with Mainland Han Chinese students, this investigation examines their motivations for adopting non-Chinese names and determines how personal identities are presented through them. The qualitative analysis reveals that the practice of adopting non-Chinese names is influenced by teacher-student power relations, Chinese conventions for terms of address, pronunciation, and context- sensitivity of personal names. As will be shown in this article, through the respondents’ years of self-exploration, their self-adopted non-Chinese names gradually became internalized personal identity markers that allow the bearers to explore and exhibit personality traits, which might not have been as easily displayed via their Chinese given names.

scholarly journals Identity negotiation of Chinese international students in Canada: A study on cosmopolitan post-graduation settlement

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 221258682110591
Author(s):  
Sebastian Zhao ◽  
Boulou Ebanda de B’beri
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Identity Negotiation ◽  
Family Values ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Chinese Identity ◽  
Canadian Identity ◽  
Career Factors

This study focuses on analyzing the acculturation of Chinese international students in Canada, emphasizing students' post-graduation settlement in China, Canada, or in other countries. Chinese international students commonly experience a multilayered acculturative adjustment when they are challenged by a new culture. In this process, they develop an identity negotiation that impacts their settlement into a new country. This study mobilizes four notions of acculturation (e.g., assimilation, integration, marginalization, and separation), to evaluate Chinese international students’ identity negotiation after university. This research uses 17 semi-structured interviews to understand how participants' identities were negotiated through their acculturative adjustment. First, the findings highlight the importance of career factors and family values in participants' settlement decisions. Second, the balance between Chinese identity and Canadian identity has some impact on student’s migration plans.

scholarly journals Strengthening University Student Wellbeing: Language and Perceptions of Chinese International Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5538
Author(s):  
Lanxi Huang ◽  
Margaret L. Kern ◽  
Lindsay G. Oades
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
University Student ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Support Students

Students at the tertiary education level in Australia are at increased risk of experiencing high levels of psychological distress, with international students at particularly high risk for poor adjustment. As mental health and wellbeing strongly correlate with students’ academic performance and general overseas experience, a growing number of studies focus on what universities can do to effectively support students’ wellbeing. However, assumptions are made about what wellbeing is, strategies primarily focus on treating mental ill-health, and treatment approaches fail to account for cultural differences. This study aimed to explore how Chinese international students understand wellbeing, the language used about and for wellbeing, and activities that students believe strengthen their own and others’ wellbeing. Eighty-four Chinese international students completed the online survey, and a subset of 30 students participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic, phenomenographic, and language analyses. Physical health and mental health appeared as the key components that participants believed defined wellbeing, and intrapersonal activities were perceived as the primary approach used to strengthen wellbeing. Findings help broaden the understanding of wellbeing concept from the population of tertiary students, identify students’ perspectives of activities that strengthen their wellbeing, offer a snapshot of the language used by Chinese students around wellbeing, and provide new data of population health through a wellbeing lens.

scholarly journals Lived Experiences of Patients with COVID-19 in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-40
Author(s):  
Sarhang Ibrahim ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Kurdistan Region ◽  
Difficult Time ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Stress Changes

Background and objective: COVID-19 has adverse effects on physical and mental health and threatens the quality of life significantly; therefore, it is necessary to help COVID-19 patients with their lifestyle, which is tightly bound to the quality of their lives. The present study aims to develop plans to improve the quality of life among COVID-19 patients by an-alyzing their lived experiences. Methods and patients: The present qualitative study was conducted from August to Sep-tember 2020 on twelve COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Erbil’s Emirates Hospital, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In-depth semi-structured interviews (12) were utilized to collect data. Trustworthiness was ensured by making an excellent prolonged relationship with the patients, peer-checking, member-checking, and implementing experts’ suggestion at every stage. Four main themes were extracted from the interviews, which were transcribed ver-batim and analyzed using the six methodological activities proposed by Van Manen. Results: The present study results indicated that COVID-19 patients have a difficult time dealing with the disease and getting adapted to their new situation, leading to a remarka-ble decrease in the quality of their lives. Analyzing the transcribed interviews led to emer-gence of four main themes: “disbelief in being really ill,” “fear and stress,” “changes in lifestyle,” and “seriously adhering to health guidelines.” Conclusion: Our results showed that COVID-19 patients suffer from physical pain and un-dergo poor mental health due to fear and stress resulting in worsening quality of life. A deep understanding of COVID-19 patients’ states and situations is highly significant to help nurses and nursing managers plan effective strategies for caring for patients with COVID-19.

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