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Insights Into Saudi Female International Students: Transition Experiences Peer-Reviewed Article © Journal of International Students Volume 10, Issue 3 (2020), pp. 741-757 ISSN: 2162-3104 (Print), 2166-3750 (Online) Doi: 10.32674/jis.v10i3.1111 ojed.org/jis Insights into Saudi Female International Students: Transition Experiences Alia Arafeh University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, USA ABSTRACT This study explored the transition experiences of 10 Saudi female international students when they made the decision to study and live in the United States. The transition theory provided the theoretical foundation for understandinG how Saudi female sophomore students proGressed throuGh movinG to a Midwestern university. In-depth individual interviews followed by a focus group interview with four of the participants elicited their reflections about their transition experiences evolvinG over time and the copinG strateGies they employed to facilitate their transition. The themes that emerged from data analysis emphasized the positive experiences of Saudi females in the United States, the importance of fathers’ support, desire to Go back to Saudi Arabia upon graduation, and the several resources Saudi females sought other than campus support. Keywords: coping resources, Saudi female international students, transition experiences, transition theory INTRODUCTION TransitioninG to live and learn in a foreign country presents several academic and nonacademic challenges to international students in general (Bhandari & Bluementhal, 2011; Shapiro et al., 2014) and to Saudi female international students in particular (Al Remaih, 2016; Davis, 2014; Davis & McGovern, 2015; Hakami, 2012). In addition to the restrictions Saudi women experience in their home country, arriving in the United States causes numerous complications for them. Stereotypes surroundinG the Middle East and Middle Eastern women leave Saudi women vulnerable to discrimination, which puts additional pressure on them as they begin 741 Journal of International Students their studies in the United States (Davis, 2014). Moreover, the terrorist attacks that erupted in several cities both in the United States and overseas in November and December 2015 in Paris and San Bernardino respectively, increased hate crimes against Muslims in general, and Muslim women in particular (Siemaszko, 2015). AlthouGh offenders declared alleGiance to ISIS and other terrorist Groups, hate crimes in the United States targeted Muslims indiscriminately (Sullivan et al., 2015). The Institute of Economics and Peace’s Global Terrorism Index asserted that terrorist attacks would not end even after 15 years of the “War on Terror” declared by former U.S. President GeorGe W. Bush (Friedman, 2016; The Global Terrorism Index, 2015). Moreover, the U.S. presidential rhetoric aGainst Muslims has contributed to increase the hateful sentiments toward Arabs and Muslims in the United States (Sarsour, 2018). In a study by Eissner (2016), researchers from Adelphi University in New York distributed a survey to explore the impact of Islamophobia durinG the 2016 presidential election campaign. More than 500 Muslim participants responded to the survey questions. The survey results revealed that 93% reported experiencinG “some” or “extreme” negative impact from the campaign. Forty-seven percent reported feelinG “somewhat safe” as a Muslim in the United States, whereas, 53% reported feelinG “very” or “extremely” unsafe. The survey results implied that hate sentiments not only have a negative impact on Muslims who were either born or raised in the United States, but also on all Muslims who enter the United States for various reasons such as business and education. Much of previous research on international students has focused on the students’ academic challenges and language barriers and nonacademic challenges such as acculturation difficulties, alienation, and discrimination. The few studies that have addressed the specific experiences of Saudi female international students emphasized the social and academic challenGes they encountered in the United States (Davis &McGovern, 2015; Abo Rabia, 2015). None of these studies explored the transition experiences of these females who arrive from a conservative culture where women’s rights are very limited, to an open free society that adopts different perspectives, opinions, and beliefs about women. Therefore, it becomes essential to understand the transition experiences of Saudi female international students who arrive from a conventional society, and how they cope with the challenges and hardships throughout their residence in the United States. It is also important to understand the coping strateGies they adapt to assist them with their academic and social lives in a culture that is completely different from their homeland. International Students in the United States International students in the United States arrive from more than 200 countries. Fifty-eight percent of them arrive from China, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia (Institute for International Education [IIE], 2019). According to the Open Doors Report released by IIE, the number of international students in the United States has increased from 565,039 in the 2004–2005 academic year to 1,095,299 in the 2018– 2019 academic year (IIE, 2019). Saudi Arabia ranks fourth after China and India, and 742 Journal of International Students South Korea in the number of students sent to earn their higher education degrees in U.S. academic institutions (IIE, 2019). The term “Saudization” is used to describe the initiative to replace nonnational employees with nationals in almost all sectors in the country. The number of foreign workers who entered Saudi Arabia on work visas has increased since the oil advent in 1938. Some of these employees take leadership positions because of the lack of equivalent qualified Saudi nationals (Al Asfour & Khan, 2014). Therefore, the Saudi government started to offer a number of full scholarships to Saudi students beginning in the 1970s to encourage them to pursue their higher education in western countries, to replace the foreign workforce (Al Asfour & Khan, 2014). Consequently, the number of international students arrivinG from Saudi Arabia to study at U.S. colleGes and universities has consistently increased. For example, in the academic year 1997–1998 there were 4,571 Saudi students in the United States. However, this number sharply declined after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to become 3,035 in the academic year 2004–2005. The number started to increase again after an agreement between late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and the former U.S. president GeorGe W. Bush, which launched the KinG Abdullah Scholarship ProGram in 2005. The KinG Abdullah Scholarship ProGram offers thousands of full scholarships to Saudi youth to pursue their higher education in the United States and other countries. The ProGram aims to bridGe the Gap between the East and the West and foster peace and solidarity after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 (KinG Abdullah Scholarship ProGram, SACM, 2016). Table 1: Saudi Students Studying at U.S. Campuses Year Number of Saudi % of previous year students 1997–1998 4,571 N/A 1998–1999 4,931 7.9% 1999–2000 5,156 4.6% 2000–2001 5,273 2.3% 2001–2002 5,579 5.8% 2002–2003 4,175 −25.2% 2003–2004 3,521 −15.7% 2004–2005 3,035 −13.6% 2006–2007 7,886 128.7% 2007–2008 9,873 25.2% 2008–2009 12,661 28.2% 2010–2011 22,704 43.6% 2011–2012 34,139 50.4% Note. Adapted from Ministry of HiGher Education in Saudi Arabia (2013) In the academic year 2016–2017, the number of Saudi students on U.S. campuses increased to 52,611 (IIE, 2018). 743 Journal of International Students Female International Students from Saudi Arabia The focus of this article on Saudi female international students stems from the fact that this unique body of international students arrive from the most conservative country in the world regarding women’s role in society (le Renard, 2014). In addition, Saudi females are not allowed to have any medical treatment or undergo any surgery without a permission and consent of their primary Guardian (Le Renard, 2014). However, a few rights were recently given to Saudi women like the right of vote and nomination in 2015 for the first time in the history of Saudi Arabia (BBC News, 2015). In 2017, the Saudi Government sanctioned a decree that allows women to drive their own cars startinG from June 2018. This law will end decades of oppression of women in the conservative country. AlthouGh Saudi women encounter these struGGles, they are determined to pursue their higher education in the United States and Get a deGree to create positive chanGes in their society. However, the misconceptions that most American people have about Saudi Arabia and Saudi women augment their challenges and cause them several frustrations. Transition Theory The transition theory introduced by Schlossberg (1983) addressed the transition of adults who undergo conditions that force them to change their habits, responsibilities, and relationships. Goodman et al. (2006) defined transition as “any event or non-event that results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions, and roles” (p. 33). If a transition occurs as a result of an anticipated event such as a marriaGe, travel, or GettinG a new job, people miGht be more prepared to adjust to the transition. On the other hand, if the transition is not anticipated in situations such as death, sudden sickness, or job loss, the consequences of these transitions might have undesirable results (Goodman et al., 2006). Building on Schlossberg’s theory, Goodman et al. identified situation, support, self, and strateGies—also known as the Four S’s—to understand how adults experience transition and how they implement these resources to adjust to the new environment (Figure 1). Goodman et al. (2006) described situation as an event that took place in a specific time and environment and the influence of various variables on it. Support encompasses all possible resources a person needs to accommodate to a transition phase. The types of support could be psycholoGical, financial, or social. Self addresses how one’s attitude toward life may be influenced by a combination of the demographic characteristics such as socioeconomic status, gender, age, ethnicity, and culture.
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