You might have often discussed and debated how well you and other Indians around you in Germany adjusted to life in an environment which is very different from the one we were brought up in, things you miss about home and things you miss about Germany when you visit home.
I study at the University of Munich and am involved in a research project that tries to systematically study these issues. I would like to invite you to participate in a survey about the very same comparisons between life, routines and values in the two countries that so often crop up in our small expatriate community.
The objective of this survey is to quantify your responses and find out what we think about these issues and problems as a group. We hope a better understanding of these issues will eventually help in a better integration of the Indian community in Germany. The results will be published in the relevant academic journals besides being sent to the authorities that are responsible for our community matters like the Indian Embassy and DAAD.
In order to obtain reliable results, I need at least 100 responses from fellow Indian students. I would really appreciate if you could take out 15 minutes to answer this survey.
Your responses will be strictly confidential and data from this research will be reported only in the aggregate. If you have questions at any time about the survey or the procedures, you can contact me at [email protected].
Please feel free to forward this survey to other Indian students you know in Germany.
Thank you very much in advance for your time and support!
Best regards, Anjali Choudhary
SECTION I
In this section, we are interested in your beliefs about what norms, values, and practices should be in your ideal society.
There are no right or wrong answers, and answers don’t indicate goodness or badness of the society.
Please respond to the questions by clicking on the button corresponding to the number on the scale from 1 to 7 that most closely represents your beliefs.
I believe that orderliness and consistency should be stressed, even at the expense of experimentation and innovation.
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
I believe that people who are successful should:
I believe that the accepted norm in a society should be to:
I believe that a person’s influence in a society should be based primarily on:
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
I believe that in general, leaders should encourage group loyalty even if individual goals suffer.
I believe that social gatherings should be:
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
In a society, children should take pride in the individual accomplishments of their parents.
I believe that the economic system in a society should be designed to maximize:
I believe that followers should:
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
I believe that teen-aged students should be encouraged to strive for continuously improved performance.
I believe that a person who leads a structured life that has few unexpected events:
I believe that boys should be encouraged to attain a higher education more than girls.
I believe that major rewards should be based on:
I believe that societal requirements and instructions should be spelled out in detail so citizens know what they are expected to do.
I believe that being innovative to improve performance should be:
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
I believe that there should be more emphasis on athletic programs for:
In a society, parents should take pride in the individual accomplishments of their children.
I believe that society should have rules or laws to cover:
I believe that leaders in a society should:
I believe that a society would be more effectively managed if there were:
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
I believe that people in positions of power should try to:
How important should it be to members of your society that your society is viewed positively by persons in other societies?
I believe that people should:
In a society, people should be encouraged to be:
I believe that people should set challenging goals for themselves.
When in disagreement with adults, young people should defer to elders.
Members of a society should:
I believe that power should be:
In a society, most people should prefer to play:
I believe that:
I believe that it should be worse for a boy to fail in school than for a girl to fail in school.
I believe that opportunities for leadership positions should be:
To what extent does German society fit with your concept of an ideal society?
SECTION II
The following questions ask about the amount of difficulty you have experienced in Germany during the last month with the following activities.
There are no right or wrong answers – just be honest.
Please click on the button corresponding to the number on the scale from 1 to 5 that most closely represents your experience.
Making friends.
Accepting / understanding the local political system.
Making yourself understood.
Seeing things from the locals’ point of view.
Dealing with people in authority.
Understanding the local value system.
Relating to members of the opposite sex.
Taking a local perspective on the culture.
Dealing with unsatisfactory service.
Communicating with people of a different ethnic group.
Understanding the locals’ worldview.
Getting used to the local food / finding food you enjoy.
Dealing with people staring at you.
Understanding cultural differences.
Going to social events / gatherings / functions.
Dealing with the bureaucracy.
Finding your way around.
Being able to see two sides of an intercultural issue.
Dealing with someone who is unpleasant / cross / aggressive.
Getting used to the pace of life.
Talking about yourself with others.
Understanding jokes and humor.
SECTION III
In this last section, there are several questions about your background. These questions are important because they help us to see if different types of people respond to the questions on this questionnaire in different ways. They are NOT used to identify any individual.
1. How old are you?
2. What is your gender?
3. What is your country of citizenship / passport?
4. Which country were you born in?
5. Which city/state do you come from?
6. How long have you lived in Germany? (in months)
7. How long more do you expect to live in Germany? (in months)
8. Besides your country of birth, which other countries have you lived in for longer than one year?
9. What level of education do you have?
10. a) Which degree are you pursuing in Germany?
10. b) What is the language of instruction (in the degree you are pursuing)?
11. How would you rate your level of German language proficiency?
12. How would you rate your level of English language proficiency?
13. Do you live with your family/any family member?
Your email address (or Name)
If you have any open comments or suggestions regarding the Indian students' adjustment difficulties in Germany, please feel free to write in the space below.
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