When we are at uni our minds are at home: Saudi students worrying about wives

Midgley, Warren (2009) When we are at uni our minds are at home: Saudi students worrying about wives. In: ISANA 2009: 20th International Education Association Conference, 1-4 Dec 2009, Canberra, Australia.

Preview

PDF (Published Version) Midgley_ISANA2009_AV.pdf Download (142Kb)

Abstract

[Abstract]: In this paper I report on one theme relating to international student adjustment that is not discussed elsewhere; namely the stress of worrying about dependent family members who have accompanied the student to the host country. The data for this paper were drawn from a larger study into the experiences of male Saudi Arabian nursing students at an Australian university. In two of five discussion groups, married men discussed the weight of responsibility they felt towards their wives who were struggling to adjust to Australian culture and therefore feeling lonely, isolated and in some instances very much afraid. These findings are an important reminder to be alert to the ever-present potential for misreading behaviour of students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. I conclude by arguing for the need for on-going in-depth studies into the experiences of students from different backgrounds with a view to improving teaching and support practices.

Statistics for this ePrint Item

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Commonwealth Reporting Category E) (Paper)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	No evidence of copyright restrictions on web site.
Faculty / Department / School:	Historic - Faculty of Education
Date Deposited:	20 Oct 2009 23:51
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2013 23:25
Uncontrolled Keywords:	international students, adjustment issues, family responsibilities, Saudi Arabian students
Fields of Research :	20 Language, Communication and Culture > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200209 Multicultural, Intercultural and Cross-cultural Studies 13 Education > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130302 Comparative and Cross-Cultural Education
Socio-Economic Objective:	C Society > 93 Education and Training > 9301 Learner and Learning > 930199 Learner and Learning not elsewhere classified
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/5798

Actions (login required)

Archive Repository Staff Only