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PRESENTED PAPERS
Intercultural adaptation and hybridity: A phenomenological study of Filipino international students
Presenter: Crislynne Mae S. Huerta
About 530,540 international students were in Canada in 2020, and 6,365 were Filipinos scattered across 13 provinces. Of this number, 20.7% are in British Columbia, or an estimate of 1,318. An 80% growth of Filipino international students was observed between 2017 to 2019, projecting for more in the coming years (Basiri, 2021). This increasing number builds a diasporic community wherein intercultural interactions are unavoidable.
Several studies investigate the intercultural adaptation process of international students, but none has been made specifically for the diaspora of Filipino international students in Canada. The culture shock phenomenon experienced by international students has primarily been explored, but the complex process of acculturation strategies, intercultural adaptation, and the concept of hybridity as lived experiences is a plethora of opportunities for researchers to explore and find meaning.
The aim of this phenomenological inquiry is to provide an in-depth understanding of the intercultural adaptation process for Filipino international students in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It will also find meaning that will lead to the concept of hybridity and multilocality through the lived intercultural experiences of the participants. By knowing their coping mechanisms and identifying and understanding what difficulty they are going through and what support they need, this study would help future academic studies better understand the process of intercultural adaptation. It would also lead to helping educational institutions, government units, and the host community to develop a concrete acculturation and adaptation plan that would allow this diasporic group settles in a new culture. Most importantly, this investigative inquiry will aid Filipino international students in fully understanding the process of adapting to a new country, becoming multilocal, giving them voices to be heard, thereby improving, and changing their lives in their new host country.
The museum as platform for intercultural communication: A theoretical approach
Presenter: Jennifer Rosado
Throughout their history, western museums have somewhat evolved to respond to ever-changing civilizations’ demands. From the Wunderkammer of the 16th century to complex digital museums of our time, these multidisciplinary institutions have adapted not only to changes in culture, frontiers, heritage, scientific developments, art, and environmental concerns but also to social awareness and ethical issues that may have not been considered in museum policies before.
Since at least the 19th century, even the most traditional, dusty, and outdated museum has actively looked for means to communicate with its visitors, because they are ultimately the ones that will either remember or forget the objects displayed and will, in the best scenario, make sense of the communication strategies applied through exhibitions.
As the main language of the museum, on-site exhibitions can convey messages through objects, their value, order, and manner of display; design, wall colors, placement, size, and fonts of exhibition labels, lightning, suggested paths, audiovisuals, digital supports, etc.; curatorial decisions, such as the information displayed through exhibition labels, brochures, guided tours, QR codes, catalogs, etc.; and educational supports, such as workshops, lectures, concerts, special events, and so forth. These multidisciplinary strategies can impact visitors through immersive experiences that, if successful, will enrich their lives and potentially raise awareness on practically any subject matter.
But what happens when the museum displays exhibitions on sensible subjects, such as colonial practices, minorities, human rights, or power inequality? Can museums acquire intercultural communication competence as a way to adapt to new concerns in our societies? How has interculturality been approached through museum studies and past experiences? Through a literature review and theoretical considerations, this essay is aimed to open a long-overdue discussion on applying intercultural communication in museums.
SUBMITTED PAPERS
The plight of overseas Filipino mothers who have children left behind
Presenter: Chrissen Jean Abigayle Galang
This research proposal focuses on the lived experiences of overseas Filipino mothers. Transnational mothering is a term to describe the mother-child separation due to migration. In the Philippines, 36% of Overseas Filipino Workers are women who must make the choice of leaving their children behind to provide a better life for them. Fifteen female participants who were Filipino working in different geographical locations were identified to participate in the study. Through one-on-one online in-depth interviews, participants are to be asked questions pertaining to how they retain their roles as mothers in a distance, their lived experiences of separating from their children, how their roles are redefined, and their coping mechanisms. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute more to the limited study pertaining to translational parenting, specifically, transnational mothering. It will help not only mothers who are planning to find better opportunities abroad, and the repercussion of separating from their children. This also targets the telecommunications providers, who develop these programs and software that allow communication through the internet, to help them get a better picture of this market. Lastly, the research will provide more context to the government about the experiences of these Filipino mothers, and to aim to provide more support to them. Given the limited study on transnational mothering, more research is needed to better understand the impact that long-distance parenting has on both mother and child.
Impact of stereotypes on the adaptation process of international students in Canada
Presenter: Precious S, Asiimwe
Over the years, there has been an increase in immigration due to various reasons such as education, work, political stability, among others that has in turn led to an increase in intercultural interactions among people of different cultures. As a result, the need to become interculturally competent is a fundamental skill that is useful in day-to-day life, whether it’s in the office, at school, in the supermarket, hospital, or any other public space where intercultural interactions are now inevitable. However, one of the major issues people face when communicating with others from different cultural backgrounds is stereotypes and prejudice. A stereotype is a generalized belief that someone may have on a group of people or even a place. Stereotypes often influence the way we interact with others from different cultural backgrounds and our ability to embrace diversity thus, hindering intercultural and international communication competence.
This paper seeks to examine the impact of stereotypes on the adaptation process of international students in Canada. Due to the nature of this study, the research method used will be mixed methods. A research sample of 80 international students from four schools in different provinces will be asked to answer the questionnaire containing both open-ended and closed-ended questions in an online survey. The purpose of this research is to determine the extent to which stereotypes affect the intercultural and international communication between international students and Canadians, as well as their adaptation process. The objective of this research is to create awareness around the impact stereotypes have on international communication competence and why it is important to be aware of personal biases and prejudices when interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds. This research will help educational institutions focus more on educating students about the impact stereotypes could have on their intercultural interactions and what they can do to better facilitate those intercultural interactions