Abstract:
This research seeks to understand the effects that different cultural dynamics have on the friendships of
Chinese university students and their student experience. Friendships are identified in the research
literature as a significant factor to a positive university experience. Meaningful friendships help students
succeed socially and academically, especially for international students who are a part from their social
networks (Slaten et al., 2014; Wilcox, Winn, & Fyvie-Gauld, 2005; Williams & Johnson, 2010). To gain
insight into the students’ experiences of friendship, the author’s personal experience as a Chinese New
Zealand student, addressed as her own lived experience with university friendships, inspired this
research. In addition to this, six ethnically Chinese students were interviewed; three who are
international students, and three who are local students. Their interviews were analysed using key
concepts of symbolic interactionism as overarching themes to understand the sociocultural significance
of friendships. The themes of meaning and symbols, communication and interpretation, and self were
drawn from symbolic interactionist theory. This study found that there were similarities and differences
in the Chinese students’ friendship patterns and experiences of how they formed, navigated and
developed in the cultural environment of the university. This study also touches on patterns of
intercultural friendship formation and how it impacts the self. For all friendships, having and/or creating
shared meaning impacted the closeness of friendship as it impacts communication. Overall, this thesis
shows the Chinese students’ friendships are dynamically impacted by multiple layers of cultures within
a New Zealand university.
