| dc.description.abstract | Globally, migration for higher education is a common phenomenon. South Asian students also dream of getting a better education abroad and living a quality life. While living in a new place, many international students face challenges such as loneliness, difficulty integrating, financial struggles, adjusting to a new education system, depression, et cetera. This study explores South Asian students' experiences of navigating their social integration into Norwegian universities and colleges, focusing on answering a principal research question: How do South Asian university students in Norway navigate their social integration? I employed four dimensions of social integration theory (structural, cultural, interactive, and identificational integration), as Heckmann (2005) suggested. The narrative qualitative research recruited 12 students from four South Asian countries, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. All the selected research participants for the interview are master's-level students at four universities (colleges) and three cities in Norway.
Based on students’ experiences, the study identified a few influencing factors, like the COVID-19 lockdown and digital education, the weather, and different academic cultures, for their social integration. Likewise, this study noted various hindering factors for international students’ social integration: mental health, cultural distances, personal perspectives, and language issues. Lastly, social bonding among students, taking part in formal and informal social activities, and connecting with informal and formal support networks were reported as ways of social integration for international students. However, this study reiterates the thin layers of social integration among Norwegian and international students. | en_US |
