Identity Transformation in Saudi Male International University Students Studying in the United States

The number of Saudi Arabian international students who pursue higher education in the United States has steadily risen over the past decade. Relatively little research has been devoted to investigating how the experience of studying at an institution of higher education in the United States impacts the Saudi Arabian identity. It is an area of significance given the interconnected nature of language acquisition, identity, and culture, and the differences between Saudi Arabia and the United States. The aim of this small-scale qualitative study was to explore how the experience of studying in the United States impacts Saudi male identity. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with seven Saudi Arabian male students at a Midwestern university about their experiences studying in the United States, their feelings and perceptions of those experiences, and how they feel it has ultimately impacted their individual identities, as well as the collective Saudi male identity. Nine major themes relating to identity were identified in analysis of the interviews, seven of which related to transformation in the Saudi male identity: independence/self reliance, academics, open-mindedness/tolerance, experiencing discrimination and stereotypes based on perceptions of their identity, interactions with females as peers/classmates and teachers, and evolving perspectives on aspects of Saudi Arabian society culture and society