“The Syndrome of the Boiled Frog:” Exploring International Students on US Campuses as Co-Cultural Group Members

Abstract

Through the lens of co-cultural theory, this study explored how international students’ positionality as cultural outsiders affects their communicative practices. Sixty-two narratives composed by international students representing 30 countries were qualitatively analyzed following McCracken's (1988 McCracken, G. 1988. The long interview, Newbury Park, CA: Sage. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) guidelines. Five themes revealed international students’ co-cultural standing: (1) assimilating into dreamland, (2) preparations, expectations, and misperceptions, (3) marked outside the norm as generalized other, (4) salient factors inherent in negotiating co-cultural selves, (5) educating self and others in and beyond the classroom. The study extends existing scholarship on international students by demonstrating the impact of the negotiation of the dominant systems on self-identity alteration. It also highlights co-cultural communicative practices that international students find effective in overcoming challenges related to their status as outsiders.

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