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    Cultural adaptation and career interruption in expatriate women in the South Pacific : a case study : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Comfort, Venise
    This thesis investigates the domestic and social lives of expatriate women in the Cook Islands and New Zealand, using in-depth interviews and a feminist analysis of their social role. The study centres on the career interruption experiences of contemporary expatriate women from a perspective that understands this decision within the context of power, gender, and marriage. In addition, the thesis focuses on gender-specific cross-cultural adaptation and transition concerns. In doing so, the study highlights the role of domestic social networks both as a form of resistance to and a reinforcement of gender-assigned domestic labour. The thesis also includes a historical analysis of colonial expatriate women in the South Pacific. Using a qualitative methodology, the research also investigates key aspects of expatriate women's experience including leisure, work, and the family.
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    Intercultural interactions in a New Zealand university : Pakeha and Asian perspectives : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy (Arts) in Sociology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2005) Brebner, Lian-Hong
    Research on the phenomenon of intercultural contact in Western higher education has attracted the interest of a wide scope of academic disciplines. Psychologists and communication experts have underlined the inextricable link between positive friendship encounter with host students and well-being of sojourning students. Educationalists have also highlighted the impact of culturally diverse classrooms on the academic experience of both home and overseas students. Against this backdrop, the focus of my study is to offer some sociological observations on the intercultural contact phenomenon from the perspective of Pakeha and Asian international students in the New Zealand university context. The present study has adopted a qualitative approach using focus groups and in-depth interviews. Results from the current research underscore that growth in the export education sector has strengthened New Zealand economy but it has not necessarily enriched the socio-cultural arena of its higher institutions of learning. Instead, ethnic segregation of varying levels has become more apparent institutionally as a result of the strengthening subcultures within the Asian international student communities. The proliferation of ethnic enclaves has had significant social implications for both Pakeha and Asians. The research outcome also indicates that academic capitalism has dominated the agenda of New Zealand higher education. Hence, the task of promoting international understanding and global interdependence in New Zealand higher education has been relegated to the periphery in terms of issues to be addressed. These sociological trends demonstrate an antithesis of the objective of international education. The challenge, therefore, is for those responsible for managing higher education to review and renew its commitment towards the cultivation of intercultural global citizens.
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    Cross-cultural educational adjustment : a substantive theory based on the experiences of a group of mainland Chinese postgraduate business students : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2009) Thompson, Robert James
    This project explored a basic social process experienced by ten Mainland Chinese postgraduate business students: cross-cultural educational adjustment. Over a two-year period, three interviews were held with each student in order to elicit his or her experience of this adaptation process. In addition, toward the end of this period an attestation group with the same student profile was recruited to review the emergent findings. A qualitative approach termed grounded theory was used for the methodology. Emphasis was placed on: hearing the students' voices; being open to students' experiences; developing a deep understanding of the adaptation process; and determining its theoretical conceptualisation. The initial interview was an inductive enquiry that isolated many aspects of the students' journey; the second interview deductively bent back on the initial data to saturate categories and determine how they were linked; the third interview further saturated categories, if needed, and sought a core category that underpinned the students' adjustment. In determining a theoretical conceptualisation of this process, a model was developed. This was shared with the original participants and the attestation group to assess their perspective of it. The model depicts that the homogeneity of the students' background produced an externally bounded and culturally harmonised learner identity. When they entered the New Zealand tertiary environment this identity was fractured. However, the resilient nature of the learner identity, the adoption of learning strategies, and the drawing on prime motivators meant a complete fracturing of the identity was prevented. Yet, as a consequence, the learner identity also absorbed new, more internalised elements. Overall, the core concept of a better future impelled students through all aspects of their journey. The major contributions of this study are that it presents an integrated understanding of cross-cultural educational adjustment and a conceptual picture of that process. The findings of this study, while limited in generalisability, suggest that students would benefit from: pre-departure culture and English language preparation; focused orientation programmes; and study skill support based on the strategies they are likely to employ and build the skills required in the new setting.