Reciprocal transformative interactions between American academic culture and international scholars.

摘要

The culture of academe is a significant area of inquiry for researchers interested in the world of higher education. Kuh and Whitt (1988) point out that the importance of studying culture was emphasized, as, during the I 960s by various authors---including Becker, Geer, Hughes, and Strauss (1961), Feldman and Newcomb (1969), as well as Hefferlin (1969). The findings of numerous research studies led in time to the recognition of culture as a key concept for various fields of study, such as anthropology, sociology, social psychology, and communication sciences. Each of these disciplines sheds light on specific aspects of this complex phenomenon, which pervades all areas of social life and social interactions. The study of culture may substantially contribute to the clarification of less understood phenomena that occur in different social contexts. Thus it can offer coherent interpretations to actions, behaviors, and events that otherwise may seem to contradict logical predictions based on some superficial understanding of the particular social setting, or based on decontextualized generalizations. The present study used qualitative methods to examine the role played by the group of international scholars, members of academic communities on different types of American campuses, in the continuous shaping of institutional cultures. It also looked at the impact of American academic culture upon the ways in which these individuals learn to redefine their own identity. Consequently, the inquiry focused on particular experiences associated with the process of enculturation undergone by international scholars while becoming members of the academic profession in general, and members of various academic communities in particular. It also looked at the self-reported perceptions of international scholars concerning their culturally related influence within their campus communities. The theoretical framework of this study is the post-positivist naturalist paradigm and the grounded theory. Therefore the research used qualitative methods, analyzing data collected through semi-structured interviews with international scholars who are faculty members at American colleges and universities. The findings of the study produced a theoretical model for the development of the cultural dimension of personal identity. This model, entitled Transcending Cultural Boundaries, provides a framework for assessment and/or self-assessment of a person's cultural sensitivity.