The Role of Volunteerism on Social Integration and Adaptation of African Students at a Mid-Western University in the United States.

TLDR: This paper examined the role of volunteer experiences on Black African international students' social integration and adaptation at a predominantly White Mid-Western university in the United States, and found that participants felt inadequate, alienated, and devalued during the volunteer process.

Abstract: This study examined the role of volunteer experiences on Black African international students' social integration and adaptation at a predominantly White Mid-Western university in the United States. The study explores micro-level interactions and relationships fostered during volunteering as well as feelings of inclusion/exclusion and personal satisfaction. Thirteen participants who had volunteered in services that required substantial interactions were interviewed. Four themes on the positive influence of volunteering on social integration and adaptation were identified, namely; fostering of feelings of inclusion and belonging, enhancement of social cohesion of diverse people, fostering of feelings of self-validation, and attainment of social, cultural, and human capital. However, other participants in this study felt inadequate, alienated, and devaluated during the volunteer process. Fear of not being understood, feelings of incompetence, and the cumbersome bureaucratic process in the application process deterred some participants from volunteering with some services. The authors conclude by providing recommendations for international students in general, institutions of higher learning, and volunteer agencies.Keywords: social integration; volunteerism; adaptation; international students; multicultural environment; student participationInternational students' adaptation to a new culture is a major concern in higher education research (Constantine, Anderson, Berkel, Caldwell, & Utsey, 2005; Tanaka, 2002). Studies have shown that some international students experience disillusionment as they seek to acquire expected behaviors that are needed for participation as competent members of the host society, and this often results in stress, negative perceptions of self, and frustration (Mellow, van Slyck, & Eynon, 2003). It is not surprising that negative feelings of social and cultural detachment by incoming college students is cited as one of the leading causes of students' dropping out of college (Nunez, 2004). The Student Integration Model proposed by Tinto (1975) provides a useful theoretical framework to conceptualize the social integration of international students in general. The central concept of Tinto's model that is of interest to this study is the degree to which the integration of college students into the social and academic aspects of the university determines their levels of persistence or dropout. The higher the degree of integration, the greater will be the commitment to college completion. Drawing from this model, it is quite evident that the social integration of international students into the formal and informal social systems of US college environment can play an important role in ensuring their adaptation and eventual academic success. This study draws on the fact that international students studying in the United States are more likely to experience social and cultural detachment on and offcampus, given the rifts between their heritage and the American cultures. Undoubtedly, social integration of these international students into the formal and informal social systems of the host environment is crucial. Maundeni (2001) defines social integration as the provision of equal opportunities accompanied by an atmosphere of mutual tolerance. Social integration, therefore, entails feelings of belonging, inclusion, connectedness, participation, and recognition, which are of paramount importance for the adaptation of international students.It is, however, debatable if the process of integration is the same for all international students given that they come from different countries representing multitudes of cultures (Manguvo, 2012). From an earlier study that compared the levels of acculturative stress among international students from different regions, Constantine et al. (2005) reported that African students at US campuses exhibited significantly more signs of acculturative stress and depression than their Asian and Latin American counterparts. …