The role of leisure in coping with acculturative stress among Chinese international students: an exploratory study
Subject
Abstract
Chinese international students face numerous challenges and difficulties when they study in another country. These challenges can generate acculturative stress, which negatively affects the perception of health and well-being among Chinese international students. While there are many studies investigating acculturative stress and leisure of Chinese immigrants, and Chinese students in the United States, within the field of leisure studies little attention has been paid to Chinese international students in Canadian universities, such as Vancouver Island University (VIU). By addressing the issues of acculturative stress and leisure among Chinese international students at VIU, this research endeavoured to understand their special challenges and how they cope with acculturative stress through their leisure engagement. Guided by a qualitative methodology, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 Chinese international students attending VIU. Through an inductive thematic analysis of the data, six themes reflecting the experiences of Chinese international students were captured: (a) Experiencing challenges and barriers as an international student, (b) Experiencing sociocultural challenges as a “stranger”, (c) The experiences of emotional distress under acculturative stress, (d) Using leisure to manage stress and stress-induced emotions, (e) Leisure as a means to access and strengthen supportive relationships, (f) Leisure as a vehicle for integrating into the local community and culture. Based on the results, this study also provided suggestions for relevant stakeholders including education institutions, leisure service providers, and counsellors to better help Chinese international students navigate acculturative stress and enhance their well-being.