Acculturation of international seminarians in religious congregations in Metro Manila

• Main Author: Santhosh, Thottankara Ouseph
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2009
• Subjects: Seminarians > Metro Manila (Philippines); Seminarians-Asian; Seminarians; Counseling Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3872; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/10710/viewcontent/CDTG004751_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

In line with the case study research method, this study sought to explore the experiences of acculturation of international seminarians. The ten participants of the study included from different congregations in metro manila comprised of various nationalities in Asia such as Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. All the participants were first timers in the country and some are less than a year and others less than two years in the country. Employing the case study method in qualitative research design the data were collected through in-depth interview and the data was analyzed using thematic content analysis across cases. The study specially explored the experience of acculturation of international seminarians. Through the triangulation method of interview the clarity and validity of the data was established. Using the Case study method, the domains abstracted from the data of the interviews looked at the four areas of experience of the seminarians in acculturation such as their acculturation experience, positive outcome experience acculturation, the stressors seminarians experienced in acculturation and the coping strategies they used in their acculturation. The study finding shows that the seminarians had mixture of experiences namely positive and stressful. The study also found out that being a seminarian made a unique difference in their acculturation and coping with it. The findings of the study proved that the experience varies according to the coping strategies used by them meaning the coping could help them move on and lessen their stressors. The explorative study showed the numerous coping resources the seminarians used in order to cope with the stressors of acculturation.