Articles
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A sociological exploration of the impact of study abroad on international PhD students’ self-identity
Abstract: This paper explores the impact of study abroad on the self-identity of Chinese doctoral students in the UK, with an emphasis on students’ agency and identity through the lens of Giddens’ (1991) reflexive project of the self’. Qualitative data comprising student perceptions and experiences of personal changes and development during their study abroad were collected through focus groups and semi-structured interviews involving 11 participants.... [...] Read more
Hegemonism in Thai Country Music A Lesson-Learned Implication in Intercultural Communication
Abstract: This paper investigated Thailand's “hegemonism” towards its neighbors implicitly penned in two famous long-lasting Thai country songs composed in the 1980s. “Siam Muang Yim” or “Siam, the Land of Smiles” and “Sao Song Muang” or “Ladies of the Two Nations” were examined and analyzed mainly through the lens of discourse analysis by Van Dijk (2004). The findings indicated a strong formation of Thai national identity with a sense of habitual... [...] Read more
Revisiting Individualism-Collectivism A Cross-Cultural Comparison among College Students in Four Countries
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity, fruitfulness, and constructive potential of Individualism-collectivism dimension in the contemporary world. With increasing interrelationship among countries and improvement of technologies and transportations, value differences among cultures might not be as significant as what people thought before. A questionnaire was constructed, tested, and distributed to 2,000 college students... [...] Read more
Audience Contradictions in the Negotiation of Controversial Cultural Media Content
Abstract: This paper analyses how people negotiate representations of other cultures in the media, in particular those traits that can be considered controversial in the sense of generating strong opinions and opposing stances. A news story about an Egyptian television channel run by Egyptian women journalists wearing the niqab (Maria TV) was used to stimulate debate in four focus groups. Although most of the participants initially criticized the... [...] Read more
SexIER Symbols Examining the Effects of a Content Analysis of Gendered Visual Imagery in Cross Cultural Road Signs
Abstract: The symbols and images projected through mass media shape and constrain an individual’s understanding of and interaction with their environment. Across cultures, road signs employ seemingly universal, generic, human symbols. Cross-cultural variance does occur, however, in the degree to which such icons include characteristically masculine, feminine, and gender neutral features. This investigation, a full scale study of an earlier pilot,... [...] Read more
Assessment of the Characteristics of Interpersonal Communication Competence among Postgraduate Students from Different Cultures
Abstract: This study was carried out to assess the characteristics of interpersonal communication competence among postgraduate students from different cultures at a Malaysian public university. This study applied the mixed methods research design with the participation of 130 postgraduate students from 18 different countries. The Interpersonal Competence Questionnaire (ICQ) was used as the main instrument of this study. Based on the results from this... [...] Read more
A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Teacher Confirmation and Student Motivation in China, Korea, and Japan
Abstract: With an understanding that instructional communication and learning behaviors differ culturally, this study investigates the relationship between teacher confirmation and student motivation among Chinese, Korean, and Japanese students. Students in China ( n = 718), Korea ( n = 362), and Japan ( n = 350) completed surveys assessing their perceived teacher confirmation and student motivation. Results indicate teacher... [...] Read more