This exploratory research focuses on the relationship between communication and identity transformation in the sojourner experience. It inquires the following: RQ1: How does communication affect the identity transformation process of sojourners? RQ2: How does identity transformation affect the way sojourners communicate? Ten participants from six countries were interviewed in a forty (40) minute interview session. A qualitative methodology with an open-minded exploratory approach using semi-structured questions to guide the interview was employed. A grounded-in-data coding and Owen’s criteria for identifying themes (Owen, 1984) was used to identify emerging themes and overlapping narratives. The study revealed five themes from the “living abroad” experience: changing the way I talk, interacting with the host culture, meeting new people, the college experience, the self; and five themes from the “at-home” experience: I am more, is this home? people at home, at work, and where do I fit in to answer RQ1 and RQ2, respectively.
","abstract_html":"<p>This exploratory research focuses on the relationship between communication and identity transformation in the sojourner experience. It inquires the following: RQ1: How does communication affect the identity transformation process of sojourners? RQ2: How does identity transformation affect the way sojourners communicate? Ten participants from six countries were interviewed in a forty (40) minute interview session. A qualitative methodology with an open-minded exploratory approach using semi-structured questions to guide the interview was employed. A grounded-in-data coding and Owen’s criteria for identifying themes (Owen, 1984) was used to identify emerging themes and overlapping narratives. The study revealed five themes from the “living abroad” experience: changing the way I talk, interacting with the host culture, meeting new people, the college experience, the self; and five themes from the “at-home” experience: I am more, is this home? people at home, at work, and where do I fit in to answer RQ1 and RQ2, respectively.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Biwa, Valerie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Communication, Media and Theatre Arts","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dennis P. O'Grady","Nick Romerhausen","Tsai-Shan Shen"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:13Z","subjects":["DNA Sequence","Genomic sequencing","Next Generation Sequencing","PCR duplications","Personalized Medicine","Polyclonal formation","Arts and Humanities","Theatre and Performance Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/794","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dennis P. O'Grady","Nick Romerhausen","Tsai-Shan Shen"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Biwa, Valerie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-03-07T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Communication, Media and Theatre Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["DNA Sequence","Genomic sequencing","Next Generation Sequencing","PCR duplications","Personalized Medicine","Polyclonal formation","Arts and Humanities","Theatre and Performance Studies"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/794"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This exploratory research focuses on the relationship between communication and identity transformation in the sojourner experience. It inquires the following: RQ1: How does communication affect the identity transformation process of sojourners? RQ2: How does identity transformation affect the way sojourners communicate? Ten participants from six countries were interviewed in a forty (40) minute interview session. A qualitative methodology with an open-minded exploratory approach using semi-structured questions to guide the interview was employed. A grounded-in-data coding and Owen’s criteria for identifying themes (Owen, 1984) was used to identify emerging themes and overlapping narratives. The study revealed five themes from the “living abroad” experience: changing the way I talk, interacting with the host culture, meeting new people, the college experience, the self; and five themes from the “at-home” experience: I am more, is this home? people at home, at work, and where do I fit in to answer RQ1 and RQ2, respectively.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Sojourner experience: An exploration of identity transformation through communication"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dennis P. O'Grady","Nick Romerhausen","Tsai-Shan Shen"],"dc:creator":["Biwa, Valerie"],"dc:date.available":["2018-03-07T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This exploratory research focuses on the relationship between communication and identity transformation in the sojourner experience. It inquires the following: RQ1: How does communication affect the identity transformation process of sojourners? RQ2: How does identity transformation affect the way sojourners communicate? Ten participants from six countries were interviewed in a forty (40) minute interview session. A qualitative methodology with an open-minded exploratory approach using semi-structured questions to guide the interview was employed. A grounded-in-data coding and Owen’s criteria for identifying themes (Owen, 1984) was used to identify emerging themes and overlapping narratives. The study revealed five themes from the “living abroad” experience: changing the way I talk, interacting with the host culture, meeting new people, the college experience, the self; and five themes from the “at-home” experience: I am more, is this home? people at home, at work, and where do I fit in to answer RQ1 and RQ2, respectively.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/794"],"dc:subject":["DNA Sequence","Genomic sequencing","Next Generation Sequencing","PCR duplications","Personalized Medicine","Polyclonal formation","Arts and Humanities","Theatre and Performance Studies"],"dc:title":["The Sojourner experience: An exploration of identity transformation through communication"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Communication, Media and Theatre Arts"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:17:13Z"}