Every year, thousands of people from all walks of life move around the world for many reasons, one of the topmost being in search of a better education and opportunities, and Ireland is no exception.
In 2023, Ireland’s Higher Education Authority (HEA) discovered that over 15 years, international student enrolment increased by 270.30% from 13,000 in 2007/2008 to 35,140 in 2022/2023.
“Finding a Home Away from Home” is a rans4d documentary that delves into the experiences of international students in Ireland. This is the first part of a seven-part documentary series that follows the lives of international students studying in Ireland. Each interviewee is a student or former student from a country with the highest number of educational immigrants to Ireland on their continent.
This first episode features Samuel Yakura, a Nigerian who moved to Ireland in 2018 to get a master’s in Construction Project Management from the Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, now called the South East Technological University.
Through Samuel’s personal narratives, this 36-minute documentary structured based on Peter Adler’s five stages of culture shock examines the culture shock experienced and its challenges, focusing on initial struggles, its psychosocial impacts, the students’ coping mechanisms and eventual integration into Irish society.
To help you better understand this transitional experience, these students’ journeys will be broken down into the five stages of culture shock, as identified by one of the foremost culture shock researchers, Peter Adler, in 1975. They are the contact or honeymoon phase, disintegration phase, reintegration phase, autonomy phase and reciprocal interdependence phase.
In each stage, specific psychological, social and cultural dynamics occur, and the extent to which they can overcome these plays a significant role in the success or failure of their integration. If you’re a migrant, this can even help you spot what stage you’re on. If you enjoyed listening, do share with your family and friends!
If you have been affected by the content of this programme, support is available. Freephone The Samaritans on 116-123.
