Journal Article

Intercultural Opportunities to Evoke Empathy toward Minority Citizens: Online Contact with Chinese International Students at a Japanese Women’s University

Sugino, Chie

2023

Overview

Exchanges with Chinese students in Japan, who comprise the majority of international students, may be a worthwhile intercultural experience for Japanese students. However, because of the lack of contact between Chinese and Japanese students on campus, many Japanese students tend to form impressions of China through the media. This study aims to explore the factors influencing Japanese students’ positive attitudes toward Chinese students and the former’s awareness of stereotypes based on an online interview in Japanese conducted during an elective political science course. This study adopts a qualitative research methodology to analyze students’ written reflections contextually. The content analysis revealed that Chinese students’ “Japaneseness”, characterized by Japanese language fluency, affected the perceptions of Japanese students, who changed their attitudes toward Chinese people and intercultural exchanges. Further discussion is necessary to determine whether Japanese students’ preferences for “Japanese-like” international students may create new stereotypes rather than enhance diversity benefits. The findings illustrate the need for future research and practice on how students with no experience in communicating with minority citizens can overcome ethnocentric perspectives and embrace diversity.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Asian cultural groups / Asian students / Attitudes / Beliefs, opinions and attitudes / Citizens / College campuses / College students / Colleges & universities / Communication / contact theory / Content analysis / Cultural factors / Education / Educational aspects / Empathy / Ethnocentrism / Favoritism / Fluency / Foreign residents / Foreign students / global citizenship / Hate speech / Hypotheses / Impressions / Intercultural communication / Intercultural education / interculturalism / Interviews / Japanese language / Language attitudes / Mass media / Multicultural education / Multiculturalism & pluralism / Noncitizens / Online education / online learning / Overseas Chinese / Pandemics / Perceptions / Political science / Prejudice / Psychological aspects / Qualitative analysis / qualitative content analysis / Qualitative research / Research methodology / Stereotypes / Student attitudes / Student exchange programs / Students / Women