Understanding Foreign Adolescents' Difficulties in Cross-Cultural Adjustment: A Self-Validation Model

Abstract

A model of self-validation is presented in this paper to explore and understand the nature of cross-cultural adjustment difficulties and feelings of loss and homesickness. Many young immigrants and foreign students go through painful experiences of cultural and personal disorientation and uprootedness in a new, unfamiliar environment. When they move from their homelands, they also leave behind some of the significant sources of self-validation which used to provide positive feelings and a sense of self-worth and meaning in life. Five interrelated psychological themes are discussed with case illustrations: (1) security, comfort, and support; (2) self-worth and self-acceptance; (3) competence and autonomy, (4) identity and belonging; and (5) love, fulfillment, and meaning in life. Social reinforcement, communication and social skills and multicultural awareness are also discussed as factors contributing to successful self-validation and relationship building between foreign students and host nationals.

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