Negotiating Religious Identity among International Students in Multicultural Universities: A Phenomenological Study in New Zealand
Keywords:
Acculturation Stress, Higher Education Pluralism, Institutional Secularism, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Transnational Student Mobility, Well-BeingAbstract
This study investigated the lived experiences of international students in New Zealand as they negotiate their religious identities, exploring how institutional secularism, peer interactions, and spatial availability influence their spiritual continuity. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis design was utilized to examine the experiences of 36 international students from diverse religious backgrounds across four major universities in New Zealand. Data collection involved in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus groups, which were processed using NVivo software to execute thematic reduction and calculate code density distributions. The qualitative reduction produced three primary themes: spatial navigation of religious practice, interpersonal friction within secular campus environments, and spiritual hybridization as an adaptive coping strategy. Quantitized coding distributions showed that institutional spatial constraints accounted for 41.5% of the identity negotiation discourse, while peer interactions accounted for 36.3%. The analysis demonstrated that participants experienced significant cognitive dissonance when adjusting to hyper-secular university norms, frequently using localized religious student associations to maintain psychological well-being. Religious identity negotiation constitutes a central yet under-addressed aspect of the international student acculturation process. Universities must look beyond general pastoral care frameworks to provide dedicated spiritual infrastructure and inclusive interfaith accommodations, which are vital for supporting international student retention and well-being.
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