Teri Terigele, Department of Psychology
Supported by a mini-grant from the Center for Teaching, students in my Cross-Cultural Psychology class interviewed sojourners—individuals with experience living in more than one country or culture for over six months. The mini-grant was utilized to purchase Stirling’s gift cards for students, enabling them to invite their interviewees for a coffee chat as a gesture of appreciation for their time.
In this assignment, students conducted interviews with sojourners in the United States originating from a variety of countries, such as Brazil, Egypt, Guatemala, Hungary, Pakistan, South Africa, as well as Americans who had lived abroad in countries like Japan, Switzerland, and Singapore. Through these interviews, students had the opportunity to learn about and engage with diverse cultures on various dimensions, ranging from tangible aspects like food, transportation, and festivals to abstract concepts such as communication styles, individualistic and collectivistic tendencies, family relationships, acculturation strategies, and the varying emphasis on achievement and materialistic success within different cultures. The students were enthusiastic about applying their cross-cultural knowledge and skills and engaging in genuine intercultural conversations.
Following the interviews, students composed reports detailing their observations, cultural insights, and reflections on potential institutional support systems to aid sojourners in better adapting to a host culture. This assignment provided an opportunity for students to connect with sojourner communities on campus and gain insights into their experiences living within multiple cultures and their acculturation stories.