Characteristics of Human Interactions Between Daystar University National and International Students: An Intercultural Communication Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the characteristics and other factors that Daystar University national and international students exhibit during their interactions and which are likely to affect the quality of interactions. Further, it sought to classify these characteristics according to the levels of intercultural com- munication, describe the process they use to restore relationships when misun- derstanding occur, and to suggest an intercultural communication model that would help both national and international students to communicate effectively In order to fulfill this purpose, this study used a qualitative research approach Focus group discussions and in-depth interview sessions were used as methods of data collection. Eight focus group discussions and fourteen in-depth interview sessions were conducted in both Athi River and Nairobi campuses. The study found that intercultural interactions in Daystar University are not as healthy as they should be because some were characterized by factors that are not conducive to fruitful interactions. On the one hand, among other characteristics, national students tend to be indi- vidualistic, not caring, assertive, and aggressive. On the other hand, international students tend to cluster in in-groups according to their countries of origin and/or regions and have a tendency to withdraw whenever misunderstanding occurs. The study also found that age, gender, money and environment were the other factors that impact negatively on the quality of interactions between the two categories of students.