Friday, April 9, 2010

Culture can challenge foreign students

Source: College Media Network



If living at home, Bangladesh native Refayat Haque would not see unmarried men and women publicly holding hands.

It's forbidden. But in America and at GW, the taboos around sex dissimilate, Haque said, giving students from other countries new perspectives on sex and relationships.

"Sex is very taboo and sex before marriage is even worse. Almost everyone is Muslim and they aren't supposed to have premarital sex," Haque said of his home.

With scantily clad men and women on television and couples engaging in public displays of affection in plain sight, the sex culture at Western colleges and universities can challenge the beliefs of international students. In a study on Asian students adjusting to college life in the U.S., Dr. Jun-Chih Gisela of Texas A&M said a lack of familiarity with American customs and culture can sometimes cause international students to feel isolated.

"Many Asian international students feel uncomfortable with the individualism and competitiveness associated with the American culture, " Dr. Lin said in her study.

But for Haque and other international students interviewed, America's sexual culture was less of a shock because they attended international boarding schools before college.

Haque's experiences freshman year led him to the conclusion that certain values held by college students weren't for him.

"I realized what situations were good for me and what's not. My morals and ethics are still how they were at home," he said. "It wasn't hard to adjust, but [it was] a bit weird."


Very simple. If the 21-year skank is hot, than the situation is good, if she's not hot, than it's not.

2 comments:

PerryPie said...

"Many Asian international students feel uncomfortable with the individualism and competitiveness associated with the American culture, " Dr. Lin said in her study.

I think that's kinda dumb. I feel like my cousins in China deal with a lot more competition than I do out here. Once my mother told me not to help my friends with their homework because that would mean they might do better than me and if I were in China, it would mean I would be at a disadvantage.

Degenerasian said...

I think in Western universities, students are in school for different reasons. Some for sports, some for arts, some to experience independent life, some to bang chicks etc etc..

In Asia, you're in school for one reason. To succeed academicallywith the highest grade possible and beat the guy sitting beside you.