International Journal of Intercultural Relations最新文献

This study investigated the phenomenon of early marriage among Afghan migrant women in Yazd city, Iran. Data were collected using qualitative research method based on interview with 20 participants. The data were analyzed using Grounded Theory approach by employing open, axial, and selective coding and the findings include 13 main and one core categories, which presented in a paradigm model. Findings indicate that early marriage usually occurs in poor families, resulting from the interplay between poverty and gender discrimination. Discriminatory attitudes, women's lack of economic independence, gender division of labor, and unfavorable economic conditions ultimately lead to "lived experience of poverty". Therefore, in a reinforcing cycle, gender inequalities and poverty are aligned, and inequalities are strengthened in all dimensions, reproducing its own social and gender norms which once again reproduce the marriage cycle of poverty and inferiority.

The internationalization of higher education has been driven by an increasingly globalized and interconnected world. One concept that embodies this internationalization process is global citizenship, which can be promoted through student mobility, internationalization-at-home, or other forms of intercultural learning. While global citizenship remains a broad and highly contested term, the increased interest of its role in higher education has inspired research in different fields. The aim of this paper is to provide a review of existing research approaches to studying global citizenship, and to formulate future research directions that may integrate these approaches into a holistic framework. By reviewing literature from different fields in the social sciences, we have identified three main research approaches: intercultural competence, social identification with a global community, and civic engagement. While each approach reflects an important dimension of global citizenship, they remain separate in the literature, complicating the understanding and application of global citizenship in higher education. Therefore, for each approach we present a general conceptualization and a brief overview of prior findings. We discuss how integrating these approaches can lead to a more holistic understanding of global citizenship and guide future avenues for research and practice in higher education.

Owing to the Russo-Ukrainian War, many Ukrainians were forced to migrate, with 175,000 settled in Italy. Following this, several Italian families have offered to host refugees in their homes. The cohabitation of these two cultures has presented challenges and opportunities. In this context, food and culinary practices can represent a means of intercultural exchange. The present study explores the dynamics arising from the coexistence of Italian hosts and Ukrainian refugees, with a focus on food-related interactive exchanges. A qualitative approach was adopted involving semistructured interviews with 24 Italians who hosted Ukrainian refugees in their homes between December 2022 and May 2023. The interviews were analyzed using grounded methodology. The study identified several themes, including differences in eating habits, issues related to the eating habits of refugee children, food as an intercultural exchange, and the opportunities and challenges presented by commensality. In addition, significant challenges emerged regarding the eating habits of refugee children and dietary differences between the Italian host families and the Ukranian refugees. In light of this, it became clear that adopting a flexible and open approach to different eating habits is crucial for facilitating family coexistence and promoting mutual understanding between the Italian host families and the Ukranian refugees. In conclusion to promote harmonious and inclusive intercultural cohabitation, several targeted actions were suggested, such as educational programs, psychosocial support services, and food sharing initiatives.

Global identity (i.e., an identification with and concern for all humanity) and nature connectedness are positively related to people’s pro-environmental attitudes and behavior. Therefore, ways to develop these traits are sought after. There are preliminary indications that stays abroad may provide opportunities to do so. In the current study, we thus examined the potential effects of long-term stays abroad on global identity and nature connectedness. Furthermore, we investigated how different experiences made abroad are related to travelers’ global identity. We conducted an online survey in three participant groups (N = 292): An experienced group which had returned from a long-term stay abroad, a planning group which intended but had not yet experienced such a stay, and a home group which had neither experienced nor planned a long-term stay abroad. We found higher levels of global self-investment (i.e., one dimension of global identity reflecting concern for all humanity) for the experienced group compared to the home group but not the planning group. The planning group did not differ regarding global identity from the home group. Moreover, we found that global identity was positively related to the amount of contact with international people met abroad, but to almost no other of the examined cultural experiences made. The three groups did not differ regarding nature connectedness. In sum, long-term stays abroad and positive international experiences with people appear to be associated with global self-investment. However, a causal effect of long-term stays cannot be derived unambiguously, and future research should use longitudinal designs.

The increased migration of the last decades has contributed to the generation of diversified societies, raising the need to understand perceptions about cultural diversity and educate on intercultural communication, intending to shrink discrimination. In order to be able to impact and instruct on intercultural competence, professors must possess preparation and development related to interaction in culturally diversified settings. With the aim to recognize the necessity for improving the interaction between professors and students in multicultural environments, this research explores the role of professors’ identity as an antecedent of intercultural competence, further designating their job engagement. The results of the survey with 322 university professors reveal the central role of professors’ commitment to social justice, as the link between their dedication to students’ needs and their own keenness towards continued involvement in working tasks. The implications emphasize the professors’ predisposition to building a productive and harmonious learning environment as a trigger for their enthusiasm, efficacy and commitment while working in culturally diverse environments. Intercultural competence presents the individual commitment to act with respect and avoid issues that could jeopardize communication in a culturally diverse environment, pointing out its importance for personal and professional relationships. In this way, this study observes cultural diversity from the lens of the impact on professors’ engagement, as the critical tool of diversity-competent, aware and sensitive communities in the long run.

The image of a place is subjective and open to change: it depends on an individual's perspective and cultural background. Notwithstanding years of research on destination image, no attempt has been made so far to evaluate the Muslim-Friendly Tourist Destination Image (MFTDI) in the travel and hospitality industry, in which Muslim visitors not only evaluate cognitive and emotional attributes but also Muslim-friendly attributes. In this research a qualitative research and literature review was carried out to develop the items of the proposed scale. The study began with a pilot study in which a committee of experts, and focus groups reduced the topic quantitatively and qualitatively. A follow-up quantitative assessment was then carried out to evaluate and authenticate the suggested scale, using two studies (n1 = 481 and n2 = 269). The significance of the proposed scale was conceptually justified. The scale measured reliability, discriminant validity, convergent validity, and external validity. As a result, the outcomes suggest that the 31 items to be considered fall into three factor categories: cognitive, emotional, and Muslim-friendly qualities. Finally, this paper assesses the article's significant implications for theory and practice, as well as its limitations.

Successful integration of immigrants in the receiving society depends on the acceptance of the majority population and their preferences for immigrants’ acculturation orientations. However, political discourse often promotes hostility and feelings of threat from immigration, which contribute to the increased perception of prevalence and acceptability of anti-immigrant attitudes in the society. Such social norms may also shape the acculturation attitudes among the majority youth, as adolescents are particularly sensitive to social norms. Previous research has shown significant effects of parental and peer norms on adolescents’ intergroup attitudes, while there is a lack of studies examining the role of social norms in acculturation preferences. Moreover, the role of perceived norms from broader social environments, such as the normative climate on the national level, is not yet well understood. The study was conducted in Slovakia, where the percentage of immigrants at the time of the research was low, but the topic of immigration was highly politicised. We examined the role of perceived parental, classmates’, and national level anti-prejudice social norms as well as perceived threat in majority adolescents’ (N = 438) preferences towards immigrants’ acculturation. Our findings point to significant associations between adolescents’ perceptions of anti-prejudice norms and their preferences for immigrants’ culture maintenance and preferences for contact. The relationship between perceived norms and acculturation attitudes was mediated by perceived threat, suggesting that, in the context of low intergroup contact, social norms may transmit perceptions of threat, which in turn negatively affect acculturation attitudes.

Research has consistently supported a positive relationship between acculturative stress and depression among international students. However, variations in findings have indicated the need for a quantitative synthesis of existing studies. This random-effects meta-analysis included twenty-four independent studies meeting eligibility criteria, comprising 5712 international university students (Female = 55.56 %; mean age = 24.49, range 17–64 years old). Findings revealed a robust relationship (Fisher’s Z = 0.531; CI [0.305, 0.756]; p < 0.001) between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms among international university students, indicating a large effect (Cohen, 1992). Moderating variables such as age, gender, host culture, and measurement scales showed no significant effects on this association. The findings confirmed the positive correlation between acculturative stress and depression, showing that increased levels of acculturative stress among international university students are linked to higher levels of depression. The results suggest the potentially pivotal role of acculturative stress in understanding and addressing depressive symptoms among international university students. Importantly, the study highlights the need for future research involving a more diverse range of international students and countries, given the predominance of studies conducted in the United States with samples primarily of Asian origin.

The article reports on a qualitative study of how schools in Estonia were incorporating Ukrainian war refugee students in the spring of 2023. Observations and interviews were conducted in 7 schools with teachers, school administrators, psychological support staff, refugee students in grades 7–12, and their parents. The study found that schools were balancing three overlapping goals: (1) to ensure psychological adjustment of the refugee students by creating a safe, supportive, and welcoming school environment; (2) to provide students with opportunities to learn and be academically successful, and (3) to facilitate acculturation of refugees into Estonian culture and language. These three “A’s”: adjustment, academics, and acculturation were important in all schools in the study. As schools engaged in implementing the three goals, they found that at times they were in conflict with one another, requiring them to prioritize some and de-emphasize others. The Ukrainian secondary school was created specifically for these students and prioritized adjustment but faced challenges motivating students to engage academically and learn the Estonian language. Russian-medium schools provided the easiest access to the academic curriculum in Russian, without the need to acculturate; but students experienced some anti-Ukraine attitudes from peers and teachers. In Estonian-medium schools, students had the best opportunity to learn Estonian but felt socially isolated and were unable to engage with the Estonian-language curriculum. The study highlights the need for schools to balance these different goals and work to resolve contradictions as they arise in their unique context.