The current study aimed to develop a culturally competent scale to examine the unique stressors encountered by Muslim Pakistani students during their stay abroad. A pool of 31-item was subjected to Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) which yielded the final 24 items scale resulted in six distinct domains of stressors, academic (six items), general living and finance (four items), perceived discrimination (three items), cultural and religious (four items), local & environmental (four items), language barrier (three items). The Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Scale was developed and validated for Pakistani students and can be used as a diagnostic tool by campus counselors and mental health practitioners.
The psychosocial adaptation of international scholars is a growing area of inquiry in social sciences. Currently, almost 47,164 Pakistani international scholars are enrolled in various universities worldwide but there is a dearth of literature concerning their psychosocial adjustment. This qualitative inquiry focuses on Pakistani graduate and postgraduate international scholars’ insights concerning their adaptation practices in Dutch culture and society. The study is grounded in a sociocultural adaptation model. The primary data was collected through in-depth interviews with ten Pakistani international students who are currently registered in three Dutch universities. The seven central themes that emerged out of in-depth interviews were the perception of cultural disparity, linguistic challenges, limited interaction with host nationals, discrimination, difficulties practicing religious obligations, acculturation attitudes, and participants’ coping strategies applied during the adjustment process. The findings of the current study highlight both barriers and protective factors within the scope of theoretical assumptions and literature. The current study contributes to the gap in the available literature concerning Pakistani international scholars’ experiences. A limited number of studies have discussed acculturation practices of Muslim students and from a specific region. The present findings would be useful for Pakistani international scholars who intend to study abroad and the administration of the host universities receiving Pakistani international scholars to facilitate their adjustment to the new context.
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