Cultural Identity Negotiation among International Students: Experiences of Belonging, Adaptation and Social Inclusion

Abstract

International student mobility offers tremendous academic and intercultural opportunities but is associated with significant challenges in negotiating identity, feeling at home, adapting and integrating socially. This study took a quantitative cross-sectional design with data from 48 international students at the University of Idaho to examine the relationships among these constructs. The questionnaire items about cultural adjustment, friendships, campus engagement, perceived support, social connectedness, and academic experiences were used to create exploratory composite indices. Various descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, Spearman correlation, multiple regression and mediation analysis were used. Cultural identity negotiation recorded the highest mean score (M = 69.68, SD = 25.29), followed by belonging (M = 57.75, SD = 18.15), social inclusion (M = 55.44, SD = 25.99), and cultural adaptation (M = 50.58, SD = 19.29). In the case of cultural identity negotiation, there was a significant and positive association with belonging (ρ = 0.459; p = 0.001), and with cultural adaptation, there was a positive association with social inclusion (ρ = 0.299; p = 0.039). The regression model showed that no significant predictors of social inclusion emerged, also cultural adaptation did not significantly mediate the relationship between identity negotiation and social inclusion. The findings illuminate the complex and interrelated nature of the intercultural experiences of international students and provide support for the creation of inclusive campus environment, peer networks and culturally responsive student services.