Spiritual Capital and Informal Learning: Experience of Chinese and South Korean young adults in higher education in the U.S.
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This document discusses a research study on how Chinese and South Korean young adults use their participation in religious communities to help them adjust to studying in higher education in the United States. The researchers conducted ethnographic research including observations and interviews at two Christian churches. Preliminary findings show that the churches provided emotional, practical, and spiritual support serving as a point of connection and boundary. They helped with language challenges and provided a sense of family and community for exploration and application of knowledge, including academic topics. Differences were seen between undergraduate and graduate students and how Asian and American cultures influenced relationships.
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Spiritual Capital and Informal Learning: Experience of Chinese and South Korean young adults in higher education in the U.S.
- 1. Spiritual capital and informal learning: Experience of Chinese and South Korean young adults in higher education in the U.S. Jinhee Choi, Lifelong Learning and Adult Education, Chi Nguyen, Educational Policy and Leadership, Anke Li, Higher Education, The Pennsylvania State University
- 3. Research Motivation (2/2) KoreaChina Motivation, Background, Knowledge, Family support, Meaning,
- 4. High Number of Chinese and Korean International Students in the U.S. (Institute of International Education, 2015) igure 1. Number of International Students in U.S. Colleges and Universities and their Share (%) of Total U.S. Enrollment, School Year (SY) 1949-50 to SY 2014-15 Top 10 International Student Countries of Origin
- 5. Research Overview Research Question: • How Chinses and South Korean young adults learn to adjust in a foreign higher educational institution through religious participation? Ethnographic Approach: • Participant- and non-participant observations in two Christian churches and interviews with young adult students, pastors, and student leaders who serve in these churches. Ethnographic Approach: • Period: 2016 November - current • Informants: Undergraduate students (9), graduate students (8), pastors (2), pastor’s wife, student leaders (2) • Language: Chinese, Korean, and English
- 6. Reviews of Literature • International students’ challenges in linguistic, cultural, and academic areas (Caplan & Stevens, 2016) • Role of religious institutions and communities in helping new immigrants adapt to sociocultural changes (Cao 2005; Dolan 1977; Palinkas 1988; Yang 1999). • Given the significant academic contribution of Asian young adults to American higher education, it is important to understand the relationship between religion and higher education, and its impacts on Asian young adults’ lives in the United States (Chapdelaine & Alexitch, 2004).
- 7. Theoretical Framework • Spiritual capital theory (Bourdieu, 1993) • Informal learning theory (Leadbeater, 2000)
- 8. Preliminary Findings (1/2) Overall • Role of local churches • Point of connection • Life support (emotional, practical, and spiritual support) • Moral and ethical boundary (like Confucian tradition) • Language • Tensions between comfort of using mother tongue and mastery of English
- 9. Preliminary Findings (2/2) • Chinese and Korean students • Sense of family support (Expectation) and family-like relationship • Motivation, Information, and Knowledge • Exploration and application (including academic discussion) • Undergraduate and Graduate students • Religion vs life style • Pseudo-kinship • Application of biblical principles in relationship and academic practice • Asian and North American Culture • Relationship: Having food, birthday party
- 10. Thank you for listening!
- 11. References Institute of International Education (IIE). 2015. What International Students Think about U.S. Higher Education: Attitudes and Perceptions of Prospective Students from around the World. Washington, DC: IIE.
Editor's Notes
- Although there are many similarities in the cultures of these two countries, China and South Korea have different sociopolitical systems, prompting their students’ complex and nuanced experiences with religions (Kuo 2014).
- This study examines the experiences of Chinese and South Korean young adult students in Christian church communities in a relatively small, metropolitan college town in Northeastern U.S. We focus on Chinese and South Korean young adult students because they are among the top three international student nationalities in the U.S. (IIE 2015). ----------------- The number of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities has grown significantly over time (see Figure 1). This population grew from 26,000 in SY 1949-50, roughly doubling each decade to reach 286,000 in SY 1979-80, then increasing by 33 percent each decade between SY 1979-80 and SY 2009-10 to reach 691,000. Between SY 2009-10 and SY 2014-15, the number of students further grew by 41 percent to a record high of 975,000. http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/international-students-united-states
- We focused our observations on a Chinese ethnic church for undergraduate students and a campus church that serves a large amount of Korean American and Korean young adult students. Both churches were selected as study sites based on their popularity within the Chinese and Korean Christian student community in this college town. During our interviews, we asked young adult students to share their church experiences and how these experiences have shaped their lives in the U.S. Pastors and student leaders were asked about their serving roles and the participation of young adult students in their churches.