Identity in a Global Era - A qualitative study among international students in Lund

Abstract: This thesis presents findings from a study about the challenges international master’s degree students have to undergo when they decide to study at Lund University, a university situated in the South of Sweden. The study involved interviews of 7 international students from different national backgrounds. Emerging from the analysis is the perception that respondents have to face several identity challenges after their arrival in Sweden and the strategies to cope with these challenges differ from case to case. The research illustrated that there is a general tendency to rely on their national identity in order to identify themselves. The research disclosed that the difficulties the respondents faced manifested itself in the form of several academic related features. These features include adapting to the grading system, getting used to the teaching system and to talk in front of the class. These features had an impact on the students’ self-esteem and several strategies resulted of how these students cope with identity challenges. The respondents in this research agreed that the University offers help with the adaptation process but that it takes time before getting an appointment, thus it is requested to get immediate support when needed. What is more, students were searching for strong social networks to cope with the feeling of anxiety and ontological insecurity. In this regard, some of the students formed co-national networks where they could have people with the same background around them. Suggestions on how to adjust the support programmes offered by Lund University to the students´ need are given.