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- Title
Understanding Malay Sojourners in the United States of America's Acculturative Stress Issues and Coping Strategy.
- Authors
Mukhiar, Sharifah Nadiah Syed; Balaraman, Rani Ann; Saleh, Mohamad Saifudin Mohamad
- Abstract
Purpose: This study looks at Malaysian Malay sojourners' acculturative stress issues and the coping strategies they use while acculturating in the United States of America. Design/methodology/approach: 15 in-depth interviews were conducted with Malay sojourners in Washington, D.C.; Athens, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio and Kalamazoo, Illinois. The sojourners consisted of students, expatriates, Malaysian Embassy staffs and spouses of the first three groups. Findings: The result showed that the Malay sojourners faced some issues of acculturative stress in terms of their consumption and difficulty in building substantial relationship with dominant culture. In response, they had developed problem-focused coping strategy to adjust. They relied heavily on symbolic consumption to negotiate their existing identity built on faith and culture. They had to adjust their purchasing behaviour due to the lack of Islamic compliant products in the American market. The ethnic group were also disassociating themselves from the dominant culture. Both of this issues were heavily influenced by their collectivistic nature. Research limitations/implications: This study is not representative of the ethnic group as it only focuses on two issues heavily discussed by the 15 respondents involved. There are many other unexplored acculturative issues among the ethnic group. Practical implications: From the theoretical standpoint, this study provides a base to understand a certain group, namely the Malays' point of view in acculturative stress and the coping strategies implemented given the circumstance. This could enrich the area of consumer acculturation studies. Originality/value: There are limited published research to understand consumer acculturation involving the Malay ethnicity. Culture is dynamic and very distinct from one group to another. This study can be a base to further understand this group, based on their particular traits.
- Subjects
UNITED States; OHIO; ETHNIC groups; PSYCHOLOGICAL stress; DOMINANT culture; U.S. states; CONSUMER research
- Publication
Global Business & Management Research, 2019, Vol 11, Issue 2, p206
- ISSN
1947-5667
- Publication type
Article