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An Empirical Exploration into the Interc... - Document (3 M) |
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| Author |
Davis, Jef C. |
| Title |
An Empirical Exploration into the Intercultural Sensitivity of Foreign Student Advisors in the United States: The State of the Profession |
| Date created |
2009 |
| Abstract |
<bold>An Empirical Exploration into the Intercultural Sensitivity of Foreign Student Advisors in the United States: The State of the Profession </bold> <bold>Dissertation </bold> by Jef C. Davis Philip G. Altbach, Ph.D., Dissertation Advisor <bold>Abstract </bold> Despite the long-held assumption that intercultural sensitivity is the foremost qualification of foreign student advisors and the central role that intercultural sensitivity plays in foreign student advising, the intercultural sensitivity of foreign student advisors has never been empirically studied. This exploratory, quantitative study investigates the level of intercultural sensitivity of a group of foreign student advisors in the United States. A sample of 300 U.S.-based foreign student advisors completed both an online survey and the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) (Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003) a valid and reliable standardized assessment of intercultural sensitivity that measures an individual's orientation towards cultural differences in terms of Milton Bennett's (Bennett, 1993) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. Multiple linear regression was employed to analyze the relationships between scores on the IDI and twenty-three independent variables generated by the online survey instrument. Findings from the developmental scores on the Intercultural Development Inventory suggest that three-quarters of the sample experience cultural difference from an ethnocentric position described by the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. The results of regression analysis identified five factors that are associated with intercultural sensitivity, including political orientation, length of time spent as a foreign student advisor, academic study in the field of intercultural relations, level of education and support for gay marriage. Notable factors that were not associated with intercultural sensitivity include ethnicity, gender, religion, religiosity, and variously described intercultural experiences. Other key findings include that the profession overwhelmingly comprises European American women, indicating increasingly feminized profession, and that women are under-represented among the senior leadership of the field and are paid significantly less than men. <bold>References</bold> Bennett, M. J. (1993). Towards ethnorelativism: A developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. In R. M. Paige (Ed.), Education for the intercultural experience. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., & Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The intercultural development inventory. International journal of intercultural relations: IJIR, 27(4), 24. |
| Use Restrictions |
I hereby allow Boston College to include and preserve my dissertation/thesis in electronic form in the Boston College Institutional Repository, which shall include the right to publicly post my dissertation/thesis on the World Wide Web. I will retain copyright ownership, but I grant to Boston College the non-exclusive right to copy, distribute, and publicly display my dissertation/thesis in any form as may be necessary or convenient in the future as file formats, storage media, and distribution mechanisms evolve. |
| Subject |
Foreign Student Advising |
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Intercultural Communication |
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Intercultural Competence |
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Intercultural Sensitivity |
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International Education |
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NAFSA |
| Publisher |
Boston College |
| Link to Item |
2345/979 |
| Thesis Advisor |
Altbach, Philip G. |
| Degree Name |
PhD |
| Degree Grantor |
Boston College. Lynch School of Education. |
| Sys. No. |
000001743 |
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