LGBTQIA+ International Students and Socioemotional Well-Being

Impact of Intersectionality on Perceived Experiences and Campus Engagement

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i2.4553

Keywords:

international students, socioemotional well-being, mental health, identity development, intersectionality, LGBTQIA

Abstract

International students are more likely to experience mental health issues and increased stress. Mental health is often surrounded by negative societal stigmas that act as barriers to seeking support and tend to lead to greater mental health concerns. International students tend to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers rather than seeking out counseling services. However, this study shows that LGBTQIA+ international students were less likely to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers due to fear of their sexual orientation being discovered and their families finding out about their identity. This study examines how LGBTQIA+ international students talk about their experiences on and off campus in relations to their socioemotional well-being. Specifically, this study sought to better understand the complexities of LGBTQIA+ students’ identities, and the challenges they faced in terms of their socioemotional well-being. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. 

Author Biographies

  • Andrew S. Herridge, The University of Southern Mississippi

    Andrew S. Herridge, PhD is an Assistant Professor at The University of Southern Mississippi. He obtained his B.A. in psychology and English from the Florida State University, his M.Ed. in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of West Florida, and his Ph.D. in Higher Education research from Texas Tech University. His research interests include access and equity in higher education, LGBTQIA students and resources, institutional leadership and policy, and international and comparative higher education. Email: Andrew.Herridge@usm.edu

  • Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif, University of Alabama at Birmingham

    Mary Ann Bodine Al-Sharif, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed her B.A. in Religious Studies at Randall University, M.A. in English at the University of Central Oklahoma, and M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Adult and Higher Education at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Bodine Al-Sharif has worked in higher education for over 14 years as both a faculty member and student affairs and services administrator. She served as a Social Justice Graduate Research Fellow during her doctoral studies, and in 2019 was selected by the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the International Exhibition and Conference on Higher Education (IECHE) Program as a Saudi Fellow. Her research interests are focused on current global movements in educational reform, international higher education, student development, and issues of social justice and advocacy within higher education. Specifically, she explores the lives of students who define themselves as living between worlds across issues of ability, race, religion, gender expression and the like. Email: drbas@uab.edu 

  • Mi Chelle Leong, Louisiana Tech University

    Mi Chelle Leong, MEd is a Ph.D. student at Louisiana Tech University in I/O Psychology program. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from Upper Iowa University and M.Ed in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas Tech University. Michelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in Texas and a registered counselor in Malaysia. Her current research interests are in corporate sustainability, videoconferencing technology in recruitment and selection, remote work, and DEI initiatives. Email: mcl041@latech.edu

  • Hugo A. Garcia, Texas Tech University

    Hugo A. García, PhD is an Assistant Professor at Texas Tech University. He obtained his B.A. in international relations from UC-San Diego, M.Ed. in higher education administration and student affairs from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in higher education from Claremont Graduate University. His research interests pertain to access and equity in higher education, retention of underrepresented students at two- and four-year postsecondary institutions, international higher education, diversity in higher education, and P-20 education pipeline. Specifically, his work focuses on conducting research on community colleges and their impact on underrepresented students’ academic success, student transition to community colleges and four-year institutions, institutional responses to globalization and the internationalization of higher education, and educational outcomes for students of color throughout the educational pipeline. Email: Hugo.Garcia@ttu.edu

References

Ashmore, R. D., Deaux, K. & McLaughlin-Volpe., T. (2004). An organizing framework for collective identity: Articulation and significance of multidimensionality. Psychological Bulletin, 130(1), 80-114. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.130.1.80

Barker, M. J. (2015). Depression and/or oppression? Bisexuality and mental health. Journal of Bisexuality, 15(3), 369-384. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2014.995853 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15299716.2014.995853

Barthes, R. (1974). S/Z: An essay (R. Miller, Trans.). Hill and Wang. (Original work published 1970)

Berger, C., Milicic, N., & Torretti, A. (2010). Socio-emotional well-being and academic

achievement: Evidence from a multilevel approach. Psicologia Reflexão e Crítica, 24(2), 344-351. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-79722011000200016 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-79722011000200016

Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A. (2016). National Identity in Higher Education: The Guardianship of a Kingdom. [Unpublished dissertation]. University of Oklahoma.

Bodine Al-Sharif, M. A. & Hassan Zadeh, S. (2020). A tale of two Sisters: A duoethnographical study of religious conversion. In J. T. Snipes & S. Manson (Eds.) Remixed and Reimagined: Innovations in Religion, Spirituality, and (Inter)Faith in Higher Education. Myers Educational Press.

Brackett, M. A., & Rivers, S. E. (2014). Transforming students’ lives with social and emotional learning. In R. Pekrun & L. Linnenbrink-Garcia (Eds). International handbook of emotions in education (pp. 368-388). Routledge.

Butler, J. (2006). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge Classics.

Castiello-Jones, K., Misra, J., & McCurley, K. (2013). Intersectionality in Sociology [Fact Sheet]. https://socwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/swsfactsheet_intersectionality.pdf

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139-167. http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8

Crenshaw, K. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality. Identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241-1299. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

Crockett, S., & Hayes, D. (2011). Understanding and responding to the career counseling needs of international college students on U.S. campuses. Journal of College Counseling, 14(1), 65-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2011.tb00064.x

Davies, M., Lewis, N. M., & Moon, G. (2018). Sexuality, space, gender, and health: Renewing geographical approaches to well-being in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations. Geography Compass, 12, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12369 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12369

Fagan, R. W. (1994). Social well-being in university students. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 23, 237-249. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537447 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537447

Fairclough, N. (1989). Language and power. Addison Wesley Longman Limited.

Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change. Policy Press.

Fairclough, N. & Wodak, R. (1997). Critical discourse analysis. In T.A. van Dijk (ed.), Discourse as Social Interaction (258-284). Sage.

Goodwill, J. R., & Zhou, S. (2020). Association between perceived public stigma and suicidal behaviors among college students of color in the U.S. Journal of Affective Disorders, 262, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.019 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.019

Gorrochategui, J. R. (2019, August 29). Guide foreign students on the path to mental health. Times Higher Education, 18.

Harley, D. A., Nowak, T. M., Gassaway, L. J., & Savage, T. A. (2002). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender college student with disabilities: A look at multiple cultural minorities. Psychology in the Schools, 39(5), 525-539. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10052

Herridge, A. S., García, H. A., Leong, M. (2019). Intersectionality of lesbian, gay, and bisexual international students: Impact of perceived experiences on campus engagement. Journal for the Study of Postsecondary and Tertiary Education, 4, 49-65. https://doi.org/10.28945/4412 DOI: https://doi.org/10.28945/4412

Human Rights Campaign [HRC]. (2015). LGBT: Moving towards equality. Global Leadership & Governance, 64-67.

Iacono, G. (2019). An affirmative mindfulness approach for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth mental health. Clinical Social Work Journal, 47, 156-166. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-018-0656-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-018-0656-7

Institute of International Education. (2021). “U.S colleges and universities remain top choice for international students.” https://www.iie.org/en/Why-IIE/Announcements/2021/11/US-Institutions-Top-Choice-for-Intl-Students

Jones, S. R., & Abes, E. S. (2013). Identity development of college students: Advancing frameworks for multiple dimensions of identity. Jossey-Bass.

Kim, N., Oh, S., & Mumbauer, J. (2019). Supporting international students: Enhancing college counselors’ multicultural counseling competence. Journal of College Counseling, 22, 179-192. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocc.12129 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jocc.12129

Kristeva, J. (1980). Desire in language: A semiotic approach to literature and art. Columbia University Press.

Lee, J. J. (2010). International students’ experiences and attitudes at a US host institution: Self-reports and future recommendations. Journal of Research in International Education, 9(1). doi:10.1177/1475240909356382 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240909356382

Leong, P. P. (2015) Coming to America: Assessing the patterns of acculturation, friendship formation, and the academic experiences of international students at a U.S. college. Journal of International Students, 5(4), 459-474. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v5i4.408

Lértora, I, M., Herridge, A. S., Smith, N. L., & Croffie, A. L. (2021) Lesbian, gay, and bisexual international students transitions conceptualized using relational-cultural theory: A phenomenological study. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2021.1924095 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2021.1924095

Li, P., Wong, Y. J., & Toth, P. (2013). Asian international students’ willingness to seek counseling: A mixed-methods study. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 55(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-012-9163-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-012-9163-7

McCall, L. (2005). The complexity of intersectionality. Signs, 30, 1771–1800. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/426800

Mehešová, M. (2017). Social-emotional health of university students and the importance of its research. Acta Educationis Generalis, 7(2), 79-85. https://doi.org/10.1515/atd-2017-0015 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/atd-2017-0015

Metro-Roland, M. (2018). Community, identity, and international student engagement. Journal of International Students, 8(3), 1408-1421. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1254603 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v8i3.63

Mitchell, S. L., Greenwood, A. K., & Guglielmi, M. C. (2007). Utilization of counseling services: Comparing international and U.S. college students. Journal of College Counseling, 10(2), 117-129. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2007.tb00012.x

Muller, S. M., Dennis, D. L., & Gorrow, T. (2006). Emotional well-being of college students in health courses with and without an exercise component. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 103, 717-725. https://doi.org/10.2466/PMS.103.3.717-725 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.103.3.717-725

Muñoz, S. M., Vigil, D., Jach, E., & Rodriguez-Gutierrez, M. (2018). Unpacking resilience and trauma: Examining the “Trump effect” in higher education for undocumented Latinx college students. Association of Mexican American Educators, 12(3), 33-52. https://doi.org/10.24974/amae.12.3.405 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24974/amae.12.3.405

National LGBT Health Education Center. (2018). Suicide risk and prevention for LGBTQ people. https://www.lgbtqiahealtheducation.org/publication/suicide-risk-and-prevention-for-lgbtq-patients/

Oba, Y., & Pope, M. (2013). Counseling and advocacy with LGBT international students. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 7(2), 185-193. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2013.785468

Pew Research Center. (2019). In. U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace: An update on America’s changing religious landscape. Pew Research Center: Religion & Public Life. https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/.

Pew Research Center. (2020). Religious Landscape Study. Pew Research Center: Religion & Public Life. https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/.

Pham, N. C., & Shi, J. R. (2020). A qualitative study on mental distress of Vietnamese students in the U.S.A. in the Covid 19 era. Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management, 15(3), 45–57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24083/apjhm.v15i3.459

Pritchard, M. E., & Wilson, G. S. (2003). Using emotional and social factors to predict student success. Journal of College Student Development, 44(1), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2003.0008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2003.0008

Rasmussen, D. M. (ed.) (1996). The handbook of critical theory. Blackwell.

Reinert, P. M. (2019). Social-emotional learning: A model for higher education. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 12(2), 114-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-02-2019-0039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-02-2019-0039

Rogers, R. (2011). Critical approaches to discourse analysis in educational research. In R. Roger’s (ed.), An Introduction to Critical Discourse Analysis in Education (2nd ed.). (pp. 1-20). Routledge.

Simmons, H. (2014). Dying for love: Homosexuality in the Middle East. Human Rights and Human Welfare (Issue of Homan Rights in the Middle East and North Africa), 160-172.

Stocker, S. L., & Gallagher, K. M. (2019). Alleviating anxiety and altering appraisals: Social-emotional learning in the college classroom. College Teaching, 67(1), 23-35. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2018.1515722 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2018.1515722

Strayhorn, T. L. (2012). College students’ sense of belonging: A key to educational success for all students. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203118924

Suh, H., Rice, K. G., Choi, C., Nuenen, M., & Zhang, Y. (2016). Measuring acculturative stress with the SAFE: Evidence for longitudinal measurement invariance and associations with life satisfaction. Personality and Individual Differences, 89, 217-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.10.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.10.002

Schwandt, T. A. (2007). The Sage dictionary of qualitative inquiry (3rd ed.). Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412986281

Tocqueville, A. (2010). Democracy in America: Historical-Critical Edition of De la démocratie en Amérique, ed. Eduardo Nolla, translated from the French by James T. Schleifer. A Bilingual French-English editions, (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 2010). Vol. 2. https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/2286.

van Dijk, T. A. (2003). Critical discourse analysis. In D. Schiffrin, D. Tannen & H. E. Hamilton’s (eds.), The handbook of discourse analysis. (pp. 352-371). Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/b.9780631205968.2003.00019.x

van Stekelenburg, J. (2013). Collective identity. In D. A. Snow, D. della Porta, B. Klandermans & McAdam’s (eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements. (pp.1-7). Blackwell Publishing Ltd. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470674871.wbespm039

Walby, S., Armstrong, J., & Strid, S. (2012). Intersectionality: Multiple inequalities in social theory. Sociology, 46, 224–240. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038511416164

Wodak, R. (2001). What CDA is about – a summary of its history, important concepts and its developments. In R. Wodak & M. Meyer (eds.), Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis. (pp. 1-14). Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9780857028020.n1

Yao, C. W. (2015). Sense of belonging in international students: Making the case against integration to US institutions of higher education. Comparative & International Higher Education, 7, 6–10.

Zimmerman, A. S., & Herridge, A. S. (2018). Campus climate and the theory of gender performativity: Implications for research and policy. In R. Jeffries (Eds.), Diversity, equity, and inclusivity in contemporary higher education (pp. 226-242). IGI Global. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-5724-1.ch014

Zimmerman, A. S., & Herridge, A. S. (2022). Campus climate and the theory of gender performativity: Implications for research and policy. In I. Management Association (Eds.). Research anthology on feminist studies and gender perceptions (pp. 318-334). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-4511-2 (Reprinted from Diversity, equity, and inclusivity in contemporary higher education, (pp. 226-242), by R. Jeffries (Eds.), 2018, IGI Global. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-4511-2.ch019

Downloads

Published

2022-07-16

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2023)

Section

Research Articles (English)

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Journal of International Students

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License.

How to Cite

LGBTQIA+ International Students and Socioemotional Well-Being: Impact of Intersectionality on Perceived Experiences and Campus Engagement. (2022). Journal of International Students, 13(2), 95-113. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i2.4553

Most read articles by the same author(s)