Navigating between worlds
An autoethnography of a first-generation international PhD student's first year
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32674/mm10gy32Keywords:
international students,, first-generation PhD student, first year, sense of belonging, AutoethnographyAbstract
The doctoral stage is often described as an isolating and individualistic journey, making belonging particularly challenging. Sense of belonging is closely linked to doctoral persistence, especially in the early stages, when marginality is heightened. As first-generation and international doctoral populations grow, understanding how belonging develops in the first year becomes increasingly important. This study draws on autoethnography and is informed by Van Gennep’s rites-of-passage framework to explore the first-semester experience of an international, first-generation PhD student. Through iterative reflection and interpretive analysis, the study traces how belonging emerges through moments of uncertainty, interaction, and adjustment. The findings show that belonging is a dynamic, processual experience that is unevenly negotiated across shifting academic, social, and cultural contexts. The study develops a process-oriented mapping of early belonging formation, extending the literature by foregrounding temporality and transition.
References
Adams, T. E., Holman Jones, S., & Ellis, C. (2016). Handbook of autoethnography. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315427812
Anderson, L. (2006). Analytic autoethnography. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 35(4), 373–395. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891241605280449
Bayati, N., Denson, C., & Asunda, P. (2025). Examining barriers and facilitators of graduate international students in the US. Journal of International Students, 15(5), 139-158. https://doi.org/10.32674/b6bgby16
Bilecen, B. (2013). Negotiating differences: cosmopolitan experiences of international doctoral students. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 43(5), 667–688. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2013.821329
Cena, E., Burns, S., & Wilson, P. (2021). Sense of belonging, intercultural and academic experiences among international students at a University in Northern Ireland. Journal of International Students, 11(4), 812-831. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i4.2541
Collins, J., Brown, N., & Leigh, J. (2022). Making sense of cultural bumps: Supporting international graduate teaching assistants with their teaching. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 59(5), 511-521. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2021.1919175
Council of Graduate Schools. (2022). Insights into first-generation doctoral students (Research in Brief). https://cgsnet.org/research-brief/insights-into-first-generation-doctoral-students
Curtin, N., Stewart, A. J., & Ostrove, J. M. (2013). Fostering academic self-concept: advisor support and sense of belonging among international and domestic graduate students: advisor support and sense of belonging among international and domestic graduate students. American Educational Research Journal, 50(1), 108-137. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831212446662
Ellis, C., Adams, T. E., & Bochner, A. P. (2011). Autoethnography: An overview. Historical Social Research/Historische Sozialforschung, 36(4), 273–290.
Ellis, C., & Bochner, A. P. (2000). Autoethnography, personal narrative, reflexivity. In N. K. Denzin, & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 733–768). Sage.
Ellison, G. C. (2011). Intimacy versus isolation (Erikson’s young adult stage). In S. Goldstein & J. A. Naglieri (Eds.), Encyclopedia of child behavior and development. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79061-9_1535
Gardner, S. K. (2009). The development of doctoral students: Phases of challenge and support. ASHE Higher Education Report, 34(6), 1–127. https://doi.org/10.1002/aehe.3406
Gardner, S. K. (2013). The Challenges of First-Generation Doctoral Students. New Directions for Higher Education, 2013(163), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20064
Gardner, S. K., & Barnes, B. J. (2007). Graduate student involvement: Socialization for the professional role. Journal of College Student Development, 48(4), 369–387. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2007.0036
Gardner, S. K., & Holley, K. A. (2011). “Those invisible barriers are real”: The progression of first-generation students through doctoral education. Equity & Excellence in Education, 44(1), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/10665684.2011.529791
Gargano, T. (2009). (Re)conceptualizing international student mobility: The potential of transnational social fields. Journal of Studies in International Education, 13(3), 331-346. https://doi.org/10.1177/102831530832206
Guo, F., Kang, N., & Shi, J. (2018). Preparation for the scholar’s role: First-year doctoral students in Tsinghua University. Asia Pacific Education Review, 19(2), 169–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-018-9529-6
Holley, K. A., & Gardner, S. (2012). Navigating the pipeline: How sociocultural influences impact first-generation doctoral students. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 5(2), 112–121. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0026840
Janusz, B., & Walkiewicz, M. (2018). The rites of passage framework as a matrix of transgression processes in the life course. Journal of Adult Development, 25(3), 151-159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-9285-1
Jeong, S., Blaney, J. M., & Feldon, D. F. (2019). Identifying faculty and peer interaction patterns of first-year biology doctoral students: A latent class analysis. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 18(4), ar59. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.19-05-0089
Mai, N. T., Cao, W., & Wang, Y. (2025). The global belonging support framework: Enhancing equity and access for international graduate students. Journal of International Students, 15(9), 141-160. https://doi.org/10.32674/badf4n40
Mantai, L. (2019). ‘A source of sanity’: The role of social support for doctoral candidates’ belonging and becoming. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 14, 367–382. https://doi.org/10.28945/4275
Marijanovic, N., Lee, J., Teague, T., & Means, S. (2021). Advising experiences of first year international doctoral students. Journal of International Students, 11(2), 417-435. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i2.1755
Mastronardi, M., Contreras, L., & Borrego, M. (2025). A mentoring program for first year engineering graduate students. Advances in Engineering Education, 13(1), 2-23. https://doi.org/10.18260/3-1-1153-36070
Matheka, H. M., Jansen, E. P. W. A., Suhre, C. J. M., & Hofman, A. W. H. (2025). The influence of supervisors and peers on PhD students’ sense of belonging and their success at Kenyan universities. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 16(1), 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-09-2022-0059
Matthews. A. (2021). Adapting to the transitional stage of the doctoral environment: An autoethnography of socialization. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 71-87. https://doi.org/10.28945/4685
Morris, C. (2021). “Peering through the window looking in”: Postgraduate experiences of nonbelonging and belonging in relation to mental health and wellbeing. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 12(1), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-07-2020-0055
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. (2022). Doctorate recipients from U.S. universities: 2021 (NSF 23-300). National Science Foundation. https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf23300
O'Keeffe, P. (2013). A sense of belonging: Improving student retention. College Student Journal, 47(4), 605-613.
Paik, E. J., & Braxton, M. (2026). “Belonging is a luxury to us”: International graduate students’ sense of belonging at a predominantly white institution in the U.S. Journal of International Students, 16(3), 191-210. https://doi.org/10.32674/df9sjd07
Park, H. J., Ruberton, P. M., Smyth, J. M., Cohen, G. L., Purdie‐Greenaway, V., & Cook, J. E. (2023). Lower SES PhD students experience interpersonal disconnection from others both inside and outside of academia. Journal of Social Issues, 79(1), 79–107. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12556
Pascarella, E. T., Pierson, C. T., Wolniak, G. C., & Terenzini, P. T. (2004). First-generation college students: Additional evidence on college experiences and outcomes. The Journal of Higher Education, 75(3), 249–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2004.11772256
Phan, A. (2022). The academic identity development of international doctoral students: An exploration from a sociocultural perspective. Journal of International Students, 13(4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v13i4.5120
Pyhältö, K., & Keskinen, J. (2012). Doctoral students’ sense of relational agency in their scholarly communities. International Journal of Higher Education, 1(2), 136–149. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v1n2p136
Rivas, J., Hale, K., & Burke, M. G. (2019). Seeking a sense of belonging: Social and cultural integration of international students with American college students. Journal of International Students, 9(2), 687–703. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v9i2.943
Roksa, J., Feldon, D. F., & Maher, M. (2018). First-generation students in pursuit of the PhD: comparing socialization experiences and outcomes to continuing-generation peers. The Journal of Higher Education, 89(5), 728–752. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2018.1435134
Sharma, G., & Yukhymenko-Lescroart, M. (2018). The relationship between college students’ sense of purpose and degree commitment. Journal of College Student Development, 59(4), 486-491. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2018.0045
Sweitzer, V. (Baker). (2009). Toward a theory of doctoral student professional identity development: A developmental networks approach. The Journal of Higher Education, 80(1), 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2009.11772128
Tinto, V. (1988). Stages of student departure: Reflections on the longitudinal character of student leaving. The Journal of Higher Education, 59(4), 438–455. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.1988.11780199
Tinto, V. (1994). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226922461.001.0001
Turner, V. W. (1969). The ritual process: Structure and anti-structure. Cornell University Press.
Van Gennep, A. (1960). The rites of passage (M. Vizedon & G. Caffee, Trans.). University of Chicago Press.
van Rooij, E., Fokkens-Bruinsma, M., & Jansen, E. (2021). Factors that influence PhD candidates’ success: the importance of PhD project characteristics. Studies in Continuing Education, 43(1), 48–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2019.1652158
Winchester-Seeto, T., Homewood, J., Thogersen, J., Jacenyik-Trawoger, C., Manathunga, C., Reid, A., & Holbrook, A. (2014). Doctoral supervision in a cross-cultural context: Issues affecting supervisors and candidates. Higher Education Research & Development, 33(3), 610–626. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2013.841648
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Anyi Ma
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
