Abstract:
Turkey is regarded as a country with collectivistic values. However, Turkish society is in a transition state due to socio-economic and cultural changes which in turn lead to changes in values, attitudes, and expectations of Turkish people. Considering this circumstance, it seems plausible to assume that individuals of different cultural tendencies are present in Turkey depending on their personal development and exposure to different cultural values. Therefore, understanding the subjective culture of an individual is of importance when considering factors affecting adjustment to a situation or setting that involves certain cultural aspects.
In this study, 1476 first-year students from Basic English Department (BED) at a well-respected university were constituted the sample. Since all members of the academic staff at this university are expected to have spent some time abroad and many have done their graduate studies in western countries, this university can be considered as a westernized institution. Its location in the capital city and the secluded campus enhance the western and rather liberal atmosphere of the university.
The freshmen at the BED at the university can be expected to go through some transitional problems as well as the cultural gap that some students experience in this new setting might be wider for prep-school students. The student population at the BED is rather diverse in terms of students’ social and economic background; and based on that presumably in their cultural tendencies since only students who are not proficient in English attend this department.
The purpose of this study is to examine the role of coping styles, cultural orientations and some entry characteristics of first-year students on their adjustment. For this purpose, three scales were administered to the participants, namely, Individualism-Collectivism Scale, Collectivistic Coping Styles Inventory, and Institutional Integration Scales. In the main analysis a series of hierarchical regression analyses were performed to investigate the contributions of coping styles, cultural values, and some demographic variables as the predictors of university adjustment dimensions.
Results indicated that among the student characteristics “wanting to change the university” negatively affected academic adjustment. After controlling student characteristics, horizontal collectivism, which is related to give importance to well-being of in-groups (e.g., family, coworkers, nation etc.) but not to subordinate them, positively affected academic adjustment. Among the collectivist coping styles, avoidance/detachment and religion/spirituality negatively affected academic adjustment. Social adjustment has been negatively affected by whether the student wants to change the university or not. Surprisingly, mother education negatively affected social adjustment of students. The higher the education level of the mother the lower the likelihood of social adjustment. After controlling student characteristics, horizontal collectivism positively affected social adjustment whereas vertical collectivism, which is people who are willing to sacrifice personal identities for their in-groups, negatively affected social adjustment. Similarly with the results of academic adjustment, avoidance/detachment and religion/spirituality also negatively affected social adjustment.
Among the student characteristics “wanting to change the university” negatively affected institutional/goal commitment. After controlling student characteristics, horizontal collectivism and vertical individualism, which is defined as individuals are concerned with comparing themselves with others, liking to compete, and desiring to win, positively affected institutional/goal commitment. This result was not a surprise considering the values of the university in which the data were collected. Since all members of the academic staff at the respective university are expected to have spent some time abroad and many have done their graduate studies in western countries, it can be considered as a westernized institution. Its location in the capital city and the secluded campus enhance the western and rather liberal atmosphere of the university. Therefore values about vertical individualism positively contributed to the students’ institutional/goal commitments. Among the collectivist coping styles avoidance/detachment negatively affected institutional/goal commitments of students.