Culture Shock and Heritage Return

A Case Study of Students of Indonesian-Japanese Descent at an International High School

Authors

  • Aliffati Muarifa Universitas Negeri Malang
  • Djoko Saryono Universitas Negeri Malang
  • Shirly Rizki Kusumaningrum Universitas Negeri Malang
  • Adi Atmoko Universitas Negeri Malang
  • Radeni Sukma Indra Dewi Universitas Negeri Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61132/morfologi.v4i4.2867

Keywords:

Cultural Adaptation, Culture Shock, Educational System, International Students, Sociocultural Culture Shock.

Abstract

Globalization has increased the mobility of international students, who often experience culture shock while studying in a new environment. This study aims to analyze the culture shock experienced by a Japanese student of mixed heritage (mother is an Indonesian citizen, father is a Japanese citizen) who is studying at an international high school in Malang. This study employs a single qualitative case study approach, with the participant selected through purposive sampling based on his firsthand experience adapting to a new cultural and educational environment. Data were collected through a single semi-structured interview conducted in Indonesian and analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model, encompassing data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results revealed three main aspects of culture shock experienced by the participants. Linguistic culture shock included difficulties learning and writing Indonesian, understanding academic material, understanding peer slang, and adjusting to the speaking pace of conversation partners. Sociocultural culture shock included differences in food, eating habits, toilet use, punctuality, and the culture of waiting in line. Educational system culture shock included differences in grading systems, school activities, and classroom participation.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ahmed, T., & Shahzeb. (2024). Cultural shocks: Understanding the impact on international students’ academic journey at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Jurnal Ilmiah WUNY, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.21831/jwuny.v6i1.72278

Amanah, S. (2018). Motivasi dan culture shock mahasiswa asing di STAIN Kediri dalam lingkungan budaya Kediri. Jurnal Sospol, 4(1), 1–20.

Černigoj, A., Szabó, Á., & Jose, P. (2024). Systematic literature review of factors influencing reacculturation after returning home from a stay abroad. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.102037

Devinta, M. (2016). Fenomena culture shock (gegar budaya) pada mahasiswa perantauan di Yogyakarta. E-Societas: Jurnal Pendidikan Sosiologi, 5(3). https://doi.org/10.21831/e- societas.v5i3.3946

Fail, H., Thompson, J., & Walker, G. (2004). Belonging, identity and Third Culture Kids: Life histories of former international school students. Journal of Research in International Education, 3(3), 319–338. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475240904047358

Faizin, F., & Isnaini, M. (2020). Fenomenologi gegar budaya pemelajar BIPA asal negara Afrika Selatan di Malang. Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia, 5(1), 27–33.

Hafizah, N. (2023). Pengaruh globalisasi terhadap kebudayaan bangsa Indonesia. Journal of Creative Student Research (JCSR), 1(1), 37–41.

International Organization for Migration. (2024). World migration report 2024.

Jin, R., Le, T.-T., Gao, R., Shen, Q., & Wang, X. (2024). Sea turtles stranded ashore: Sociocultural dissonance and identity conflicts in migration intentions of Chinese international student returnees. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2024.102079

Kılınç, N. (2025). Felt like a fish out of water: Second generation Turkish German returnees’ narratives of educational disintegrations and selective acculturation paths in Turkey. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 51(17). https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2025.2504625

Maizan, S. H., Bashori, K., & Hayati, E. N. (2020). Analytical theory: Gegar budaya (culture shock). Psycho Idea, 18(2), 147. https://doi.org/10.30595/psychoidea.v18i2.6566

Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.

Mustofa, R. H., & Defiana, A. (2024). Culture shock akademik mahasiswa asing di Indonesia (Studi kasus di Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta). Didaktika: Jurnal Kependidikan, 13(2), 1641–1654. https://doi.org/10.58230/27454312.667

Nur, R., Nasir, S. A., & Burhanuddin, W. (2021). International students in Makassar, Indonesia: Do they experience any cultural shock? International Journal of Advanced Research (IJAR), 9(1), 424–430. https://doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/12312

Oberg, K. (1960). Cultural shock: Adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical Anthropology, 7(4), 177–182.

Pedersen, P. (1995). The five stages of culture shock. Greenwood Press.

Pitriyani, Wilodati, & Maftuh, B. (2024). Systematic literature review: Gegar budaya dan strategi. Jurnal Dinamika, 5(2), 145–167.

Suciawati, A., Anita, A., & As’ari, A. (2025). Culture shock and adaptation: International students’ academic and social experiences at a State Islamic University. Passage: Journal of English Language and Literature, 13(2), 105–116.

Waal, M. F. de, Born, M. Ph., Brinkmann, U., & Frasch, J. J. F. (2020). Third Culture Kids, their diversity beliefs and their intercultural competences. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 79, 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.09.002

Widianti, F. D. (2022). Dampak globalisasi di negara Indonesia. JISP (Jurnal Inovasi Sektor Publik), 2(1), 73–95. https://doi.org/10.38156/jisp.v2i1.122

Wilczewski, M., & Alon, I. (2023). Language and communication in international students’ adaptation: A bibliometric and content analysis review. Higher Education, 85(6), 1235–1256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00888-8

Downloads

Published

2026-08-12

How to Cite

Aliffati Muarifa, Djoko Saryono, Shirly Rizki Kusumaningrum, Adi Atmoko, & Radeni Sukma Indra Dewi. (2026). Culture Shock and Heritage Return: A Case Study of Students of Indonesian-Japanese Descent at an International High School. Morfologi : Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, Bahasa, Sastra Dan Budaya, 4(4), 30–45. https://doi.org/10.61132/morfologi.v4i4.2867

Similar Articles

<< < 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.