scholarly journals Japanese Exchange Students’ Academic and Social Struggles at an American University

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Sato ◽  
Samuel R. Hodge
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Exchange Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
American University ◽  
American Universities ◽  
Constant Comparative Method ◽  
Academic And Social Experiences

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the views of exchange students from Asia about their academic and social experiences at an American university. The participants were eight exchange students from Japan (four men and four women). This study was descriptive-qualitative (Patton, 2002). The data sources were a demographic survey and two semi-structured interviews conducted during the participants’ study abroad sojourn. The interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method (Merriam, 1998). The emergent themes were (a) social distance contributes to academic struggles, (b) collectivism positioned against individualism, (c) isolation in group discussions, and (d) professors’ negativity. We include recommendations aimed at improving international students’ academic and social experiences at American universities.

When Culturally Significant Songs are Decontextualised: The Initiation Song Somagwaza, A Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Dowling ◽  
Somikazi Deyi ◽  
Anele Gobodwana
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Popular Song ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Ritual Music ◽  
Constant Comparative Method ◽  
Small Focus ◽  
Over Time

While there have been a number of studies on the decontextualisation and secularisation of traditional ritual music in America, Taiwan and other parts of the globe, very little has been written on the processes and transformations that South Africa’s indigenous ceremonial songs go through over time. This study was prompted by the authors’ interest in, and engagement with the Xhosa initiation song Somagwaza, which has been re-imagined as a popular song, but has also purportedly found its way into other religious spaces. In this article, we attempted to investigate the extent to which the song Somagwaza is still associated with the Xhosa initiation ritual and to analyse evidence of it being decontextualised and secularised in contemporary South Africa. Our methodology included an examination of the various academic treatments of the song, an analysis of the lyrics of a popular song, bearing the same name, holding small focus group discussions, and distributing questionnaires to speakers of isiXhosa on the topic of the song. The data gathered were analysed using the constant comparative method of analysing qualitative research.

scholarly journals “Because of the Christian Fellowship, I Decided to Stay”: How Participating in a Christian Community Shapes the Social Experiences of Chinese International Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Anke Li ◽  
Chi Nguyen ◽  
Jinhee Choi
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Christian Community ◽  
American University ◽  
The Social ◽  
Christian Fellowship ◽  
The University

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.

scholarly journals Care of Children With Disabilities in Rural Areas: Meanings and Impact on Everyday life and Health. Study Protocol

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 160940692094760
Author(s):  
Pablo A. Cantero-Garlito ◽  
Juan Antonio Flores-Martos ◽  
Pedro Moruno-Miralles
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Social ◽  
Maternal Caregiving ◽  
Constant Comparative Method ◽  
The Impact

The general objective of this study is to describe and analyze the meanings that participants gave to the experience related to maternal caregiving activities of children with disabilities in the rural context and their impact on daily life and health. In order to achieve this general objective, the following specific objectives were established: (1) To describe the meanings given to experiences related to caregiving activities of children with disabilities; (2) To analyze the impact on daily life and health that these mothers attribute to those activities; (3) To describe how they experience the support provided by the social and healthcare system in rural areas. An interpretative paradigm was selected, using a qualitative approach and a phenomenological design. Twelve mothers were included. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. A discourse analysis of the narrative information was performed using open, axial, and selective coding processes and the constant comparative method.

American Undergraduate Students’ Social Experiences With Chinese International Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 354-370
Author(s):  
Takahiro Sato ◽  
Valerie Burge-Hall ◽  
Tsuyoshi Matsumoto
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Chinese International Students ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
American University ◽  
The Social

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain American undergraduate students’ social experiences interacting with non-native English-speaking Chinese international students during conversational practices at an American university. This study used an explanatory (holistic) multiple case study design (Yin, 2003) using in-depth, semistructured interviews grounded in the social exchange theory. The participants were seven American students (three men and four women) who served as conversation partners of Chinese international exchange students during each fall semester. Three major interrelated and complex themes emerged from the data. They were (a) developing social reward relationships, (b) proving the social norm information during the conversational partnerships, and (c) employing/utilizing strategies for developing trust relationships. The results of this study can be utilized to encourage faculty, global education office staff, and all students to respect, value, and embrace the languages and cultures of Chinese international students. This contribution can prompt a greater appreciation for diversity which leads to meaningful academic, athletic, and social experiences for all students at American college and university.

scholarly journals A Grounded theory study of the intention of nurses to leave the profession

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyla Alilu ◽  
Vahid Zamanzadeh ◽  
Leila Valizadeh ◽  
Hosein Habibzadeh ◽  
Mark Gillespie
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Grounded Theory Method ◽  
Psychosocial Concerns ◽  
Constant Comparative Method ◽  
Bedside Nursing ◽  
Organizational Expectations

ABSTRACT Objective: this study explores the process of the development of an intention to leave bedside nursing. Method: the process was studied from the perspective of 21 nurses using the grounded theory method. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and the constant comparative method of Corbin and Strauss was used for data analysis. Results: according to the participants, the two main categories, "social image of nursing", and "culture and structure of the bedside", were the contextual factors that influence why nurses are leaving bedside care provision. Disappointment with a perceived lack of progress or improvement in the clinical experience formed primary psychosocial concerns for the participants. Competence and a process of self-control were steps taken by the participants. These, associated with interventional conditions produced the outcomes of the loss of professional commitment and desire to leave bedside nursing. "Failure to integrate personal expectations with organizational expectations: in search of escape" was the central category of the study that linked the categories together. Conclusion: the findings of this study provide useful information about the needs of nurses for overcoming the intention to leave bedside care. The identification of this process can help in recognizing emerging problems and providing solutions for them.

scholarly journals Cultural identity of bilingual adults : a case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anastasiia Gorlova
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
The United States ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Graduate Studies ◽  
Hybrid Identities ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Constant Comparative Method ◽  
Research Findings

This case study of the cultural identity of bilingual adults aims to discover the changes in the self-identification of sequential Russian-English bilingual adults that occur as a result of the immersion in the second language and culture. The study strives to answer the question of the change in self-identification of bilingual adults and the way they perceive those changes as well as the role that language plays in the transformation of identity. The participants of the study are Russian-born graduate students pursuing their graduate studies at the Universities in the United States. The data for this qualitative study were gathered through oral semi-structured interviews and samples of participants' writing and analyzed using the constant comparative method. The research findings show that the participants of the study are situated on a various levels of the construction of hybrid identities. Among the factors that influenced that transformation of identity, the most were the loss of network and connections and the differences between American and Russian cultures. Additionally, language as a factor in the change of self-identification affects the identity when individuals temporarily lose the ability to communicate and then learn new communication strategies that involve a system of both languages based on the principles of efficient communication.

scholarly journals Patients’ and Caregivers’ Conceptualisations of Pressure Ulcers and the Process of Decision-Making in the Context of Home Care

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (15) ◽  
pp. 2719
Author(s):  
Francisco José García-Sánchez ◽  
Vicente Martínez-Vizcaíno ◽  
Beatriz Rodríguez-Martín
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Shared Decision Making ◽  
Pressure Ulcers ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Personal Motivation ◽  
Constant Comparative Method

Background: Although the addition of patients in the process of shared decision-making can improve their recovery, there is a lack of knowledge about patients’ and caregivers’ perceptions on the management of pressure ulcers at home. Objectives: To explore the conceptualisations of patients with pressure ulcers and their caregivers on the barriers and facilitators for their involvement in home care and in the process of shared decision-making regarding the care provided. Methods: A qualitative study based on grounded theory in a theoretical sample of 10 patients with pressure ulcers and 15 main caregivers from the health district of Puertollano (Spain). The data were based on semi-structured interviews, analysed using a coding process and the constant comparative method. Results: According to the participants, personal motivation and the involvement of primary care professionals facilitated their participation in the process of shared decision-making and generated feelings of positivity. In contrast, older age, having disabling pathologies, a low educational level or health paternalism were perceived as barriers for their involvement. Conclusions: A non-paternalistic care model and personal motivation facilitate the process of shared decision-making in the care of people with pressure ulcers. Further studies are required to deepen the understanding of this phenomenon and examine the barriers and facilitators for the involvement of patients and caregivers in the management of these injuries in other contexts.

scholarly journals Facilitators and Barriers to Wearing Hand Orthoses by Adults with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Mixed Methods Study Design

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 467-475
Author(s):  
S.L.S. Houwen-van Opstal ◽  
Y.M.E.M. van den Elzen ◽  
M. Jansen ◽  
M.A.A.P. Willemsen ◽  
E.H.C. Cup ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Hand Function ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Constant Comparative Method ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers

Background: To retard shortening of finger flexors in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), hand orthoses are prescribed. However, many patients do not wear the orthoses regularly. To optimize orthotic interventions, we need insight into the factors influencing compliance. Objective: To evaluate the compliance regarding hand orthoses in an adult DMD population and to explore experiences and perceptions of DMD patients wearing orthoses, and of their caregivers. Methods: Mixed methods observational study, combining quantitative and qualitative data from medical charts combined with qualitative semi-structured interviews using a constant comparative method and a short validated questionnaire (D-QUEST). Results: 65 medical charts were analyzed. 48 patients were assessed as needing hand orthoses, of whom 37.5 % were compliant. Qualitative data analyses revealed (1) motivation: preservation of hand function; (2) barriers: discomfort and impediments; (3) facilitators: good fit and personalized wearing schedule; (4) fitting process: satisfactory, but patients do not readily seek help when barriers appear. Conclusions: Patients are motivated to wear hand orthoses, but often discontinue use because of orthosis-and disease-specific barriers. The identification of these barriers leads to practical and feasible recommendations concerning the orthoses and the fitting process, such as less rigid material, preservation of some function while wearing the orthoses, and fixed evaluation points. The findings were confirmed by the D-QUEST.

A Qualitative Study of Teachers' Understanding of Sustainability

2015 ◽  
pp. 206-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiaowei Cristina Chang ◽  
Resa Marie Kelly ◽  
Ellen P. Metzger
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Real World ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
Social Equity ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Constant Comparative Method ◽  
Constant Comparative

This qualitative study was focused on exploring how in-service teachers' who were attending a three-day “Educating for Sustainability” workshop made sense of sustainability. Another goal of this study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the portrayal of the three dimensions of sustainability (environment, economy and social equity) in short movies that served as “real world” exemplars of sustainability that were freely available online through YouTube or other websites. Data was collected largely through individual semi-structured interviews, but also through questionnaires and written and drawn documentation. The findings, obtained through the constant-comparative method of coding, indicated that teachers' spontaneous descriptions of sustainability emphasized the environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability, but overlooked the equity dimension of sustainability. The videos helped teachers incorporate the 3E's into their sustainability discussions when all three dimensions were addressed, but when the social equity dimension was missing, then it tended to go unnoticed.

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