Promoting Intercultural Contact Between Australian and International University Students

Bibliographic Data

ID4545754
AuthorsPatricia Todd (University of Western Autralia), Drew Nesdale (University of Western Autralia)
Year1997
Volume19
Issue1
Pages61-76
Publication date1997-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Higher Education Policy and Management (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1360-080X • E-ISSN: 1469-9508
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1360080970190108
OpenAlexW1987948004
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited35

In view of the equivocal findings relating to the intercultural contact hypothesis and the practical issue of the lack of contact between Australian and international university students, a study was conducted to assess the efficacy of an intervention designed to promote contact between members of the two groups in one setting (a residential college) on their contact on the wider university campus, as well as their intercultural knowledge and acceptance. The subjects were 147 international (mainly ethnic Chinese) and Anglo-Australian first year students living in four student residential colleges, each of which had\napproximately equal numbers of the two student groups. An intervention was developed which focused on the orientation program, college floor group recreational activities and college tutorial system of one of the residential colleges, the aim being to promote contact between international and Australian students. The program was evaluated after six months, the results for students in the intervention college being compared with those of students in the remaining colleges. Consistent with the intercultural contact hypothesis, the findings indicated that the extent of residential college contact generalised to university intercultural contact, knowledge and acceptance, but that the effect was greater for Australian than international students. The\nimplications of the findings are discussed, particularly the difficulties involved in promoting intercultural contact on Australian university campuses

Contact hypothesis · Contact theory · Ethnic group · Higher education · Intercultural communication · International education · Intervention (counseling · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Recreation · Sociology · Study abroad · Communication in Education and Healthcare · Engineering · Global Education and Multiculturalism · International Student and Expatriate Challenges · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology