Coping with culture shock: a study of stressors, adjustments and stereotypes among chinese students at bangkok university

COPING WITH CULTURE SHOCK: A STUDY OF STRESSORS, ADJUSTMENTS AND STEREOTYPES AMONG CHINESE STUDENTS AT BANGKOK UNIVERSITY

COPING WITH CULTURE SHOCK: A STUDY OF STRESSORS, ADJUSTMENTS AND STEREOTYPES AMONG CHINESE STUDENTS AT BANGKOK UNIVERSITY

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Communication Arts 2009


©2009
Bin Wang
All Right Reserved
ii

Wang, Bin. M.Com.Arts (Applied Communication), April, 2009, Graduate School, Bangkok University

Coping with culture shock: a study of stressors, adjustment and stereotypes among Chinese students at Bangkok University (pp.77)
Advisor of Independent Study: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Boonlert Supadhiloke

ABSTRACT

This independent study is designed to explore Chinese students’ stressors, copings, and adjustments in Thai society by relating to culture shock concept in Bangkok University; and to explore Chinese students’ stereotypes about Thailand in pre-arrival
and post-arrival in Bangkok University. Since intercultural communication caused many stress to international students and those stresses are inducements to psychological and physical diseases, a research on stressors, coping, adjustment and stereotypes among Chinese students in Bangkok University is necessary. And the research is unique since nobody conducted such research in Bangkok University.

Altogether, there are 40 respondents participant to the research and they are selected by purposeful sampling techniques. Those respondents include both male and female Chinese students who are currently study in Bangkok University. According U- curve culture shock theory, 4 stages in culture shock, respondents are selected into 4 groups by related to their length of stay in Thailand. 10 respondents are selected for each group with Chinese students who have been in Thailand less than 6 months, 6-18 months, 18-30 months, and more than 30 months. Unconstructed interviews are used to collect data from 40 respondents. In the research, a descriptive analysis used to generate research result.

In the research result, there are several intercultural communication stressors found via interviews. Language, cultural and religious knowledge, local information, loneliness and homesickness are main stressors among Chinese students. In addition,

pressure of study, work and graduation, food, living condition, friendship, lost of identity are explored stressors in each group. Moreover, in pre-arrival and post-arrival, respondents stereotypes are found as well. In general, respondents hold negative stereotype toward to Thailand in pre-arrival such as sexy overabundance, many transsexuals, weak in social security and overabundance of drugs; in post-arrival, respondents’ stereotypes are generally positive in 0-6 months period and negative in 6-18 months and 18-30 months periods; and their stereotypes are become to average in 30 up months period.