Exploring Central Asian Female Students’ Self-Identity in American Graduate Schools
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“AM I FRACTURED OR WHOLE?”: EXPLORING CENTRAL ASIAN FEMALE STUDENTS’ SELF-IDENTITY IN AMERICAN GRADUATE SCHOOLS A dissertation submitted to the Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Mayagul Satlykgylyjova August 2019 © Copyright, 2019 by Mayagul Satlykgylyjova All Rights Reserved ii A dissertation written by Mayagul Satlykgylyjova B.A., Turkmen State University, 2004 M.Ed., Kent State University, 2009 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2019 Approved by _____________________________, Co-director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Natasha Levinson _____________________________, Co-director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Martha C. Merrill _____________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Averil E. McClelland Accepted by _____________________________, Director, School of Foundations, Leadership Kimberly S. Schimmel and Administration _____________________________, Dean, College of Education, Health and Human James C. Hannon Services iii SATLYKGYLYJOVA, MAYAGUL, Ph.D., August 2019 Cultural Foundations of Education “AM I FRACTURED OR WHOLE?”: EXPLORING CENTRAL ASIAN FEMALE STUDENTS’ SELF-IDENTITY IN AMERICAN GRADUATE SCHOOLS (254 pp.) Co-Directors of Dissertation: Natasha Levinson, Ph.D. Martha C. Merrill, Ph.D. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand whether and how Central Asian female students’ identities change because of their studies in American higher education and cross-cultural encounters. Using a basic interpretive approach, I interviewed six female students from five countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. My dissertation puts Central Asian women’s identity formation in a historical perspective. This offers some insight into who the female students were before coming to the United States and some of the challenges women face while defining their identities and coming to grips with their identity changes. Based on the Reconceptualized Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity (Abes, Jones, & McEwen, 2007), the Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive Model of Culture Shock (Ward, Bochner, & Furnham, 2001), and the transnational feminist perspective (Grewal & Kaplan, 1994), the findings are divided into three chapters. The first findings chapter demonstrates the ambivalent nature of participants’ views on their certain identity dimensions. The second findings chapter elaborates on the transformative effects of higher education in the United States on women’s self-identity. The third findings chapter explores the in-betweenness of women’s sense of self-identity after living and studying in the United States. The dissertation concludes by suggesting that universities should not view students’ identity change as a pathology, but to understand the sense of in-betweenness and accept this complexity that is still in process. Keywords: identity construction, Central Asian female students, education abroad ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The journey of completing this dissertation involved several individuals who have influenced both my intellectual and moral growth. I acknowledge most profoundly my dissertation co-directors Dr. Natasha Levinson and Dr. Martha Merrill. Dr. Levinson’s intellectual rigor, Dr. Merrill’s knack for details, and both professors’ high expectations not only pushed my thinking to greater clarity, but also helped me to overcome the toughest challenges of the writing process. Dr. Averil McClelland, my committee member, played an integral part in my academic achievement by providing her invaluable feedback for my research and by guiding me while I was teaching undergraduate-level courses. For that, I remain eternally grateful. I thank Dr. Marcello Fantoni from the Office of Global Education, Dr. Linda Robertson from the Center for International and Intercultural Education, Dr. Kimberly Schimmel and Dr. Mark Kretovics from the Department of Foundations, Leadership, and Administration, Kyle Reynolds, Dr. Kate McAnulty and the committee members of the Division of Graduate Studies, for generously funding my graduate education, multiple trips to professional conferences, as well as my research project. I also express my deepest appreciation to Dr. Vilma Seeberg who shaped my academic dispositions by introducing me to professional associations at the start of my program. My dear friends Dr. Kristine Newton, Dr. Shujuan Luo, and soon-to-be Dr. Kate Klonowski not only kept me accountable as my ‘study buddies’ but they became my family. My colleagues in the Upward Bound Programs Jasmina D. Waters, Stephon Brown, Patty Robinson, Sonya Williams, Rikki Vesy, Jeff Harrell, Ellis Henderson, Gaylen Moore and Jennifer Fedor iv not only patiently supported me, but also enabled me to talk unendingly about my research project during our field trips and Saturday events. My appreciation is extended to the participants of my study. I enjoyed our deep deliberations and effortless informal conversations. My father, Sapardurdy, and siblings have been patient and understanding in their demands of my time during my writing process and they have provided me with much needed emotional support. My mother, Enejan, could only witness my entrance to the Ph.D. program, but I know in my heart that she would have been thrilled to see me achieve my dreams not only on professional but also on personal level. Finally, this project would not have been complete without the support of my husband, the love of my life, Brandon Fenty. Thank you for continuously believing in me, encouraging me, deliberating with me, and listening to my unending analyses. You were always there for me, even at times when I thought that it was impossible to continue, you helped me to keep moving forward. I appreciate our baby boy, Silas, for abiding mommy’s long hours away from home and the patience he showed during my writing process. I cannot easily capture in words how grateful I am to both of you. My heartfelt regard goes to my father-in-law, Curtis Fenty, mother-in-law, Sabrina Simmons, my brother-in-law, Stephan Fenty, and his wife, Melissa Fenty, for their love, moral support and encouragement. I consider myself lucky to have such a loving and caring family, standing beside me with their unconditional support. Thank you! v DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my parents Enejan and Sapardurdy; my siblings Ejeş, Merdan, Alma, and Mähri; my husband Brandon and my baby boy Silas. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................1 In Search of an Explanation .....................................................................................1 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................7 Significance of the Study: Research Questions .......................................................8 Why Identity Matters .............................................................................................10 Theoretical Framework: An Overview ..................................................................12 Organization of the Dissertation ............................................................................14 Transliteration ........................................................................................................17 II. CONTEXTUALIZING WOMEN’S IDENTITY IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 20 Women’s Ethnic Identity .......................................................................................22 Women’s Education and Linguistic Identity .........................................................27 Women’s Religious Identity: Lifestyles and Headscarves ....................................37 Women’s Gender Identity: Body and Sexuality ....................................................45 New Avenues for Change: Technology and Study Abroad Opportunities ............52 Summary ................................................................................................................56 III. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: EXPLORING IDENTITY IN MOTION ............58 Complexity and Multiple Dimensions of Identity .................................................58 Identity Construction in Cross-cultural and Global Educational Contexts ............70 Contemporary Perspectives on Intercultural Contact ................................73 Synthesis ....................................................................................................79 Identity Construction through Transnational Feminist Perspective .......................81 Conclusion .............................................................................................................86 IV. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS ...................................................................87 Research Design.....................................................................................................87 Methodological and Theoretical Alignment ..............................................89 Research Contexts: Historical and Physical Settings.................................91 Participants and Recruitment Process ........................................................93 vii Data Collection