@article{ART003228501},
author={Park Eunmi and Kim Sang Soo},
title={A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan},
journal={Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies},
issn={2586-6206},
year={2025},
volume={20},
pages={127-150},
doi={10.22957/mses.20..202507.127}
TY - JOUR
AU - Park Eunmi
AU - Kim Sang Soo
TI - A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan
JO - Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies
PY - 2025
VL - 20
IS - null
PB - Institute for Migration and Multicultural Studies
SP - 127
EP - 150
SN - 2586-6206
AB - This study explores the lived experiences of international students engaging in community-based volunteer activities in Busan, South Korea, using a phenomenological approach. Ten international students enrolled in a local university participated in this study, and data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed according to Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological method. The findings identified four core themes that characterize the students’ volunteer experiences: formation of social relationships and a sense of belonging, cultural understanding and language adaptation, personal growth and enhanced self-efficacy, and the development of civic identity and sustained participation. These volunteer experiences contributed not merely to fulfilling academic requirements but also to forming bridging social capital, expanding intercultural networks, and reinforcing psychological stability.
Participants gradually internalized their roles as proactive contributors to the local community beyond that of passive outsiders. The study reveals that volunteer participation provides international students with an integrative platform to construct social connections, embody civic responsibility, and experience community inclusion. These findings offer practical implications for higher education institutions and local governments seeking to promote sustainable models of multicultural integration and retention of international students at a regional level.
KW - International students;Volunteer activity;Phenomenological research;Social capital;Social integration
DO - 10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
ER -
Park Eunmi and Kim Sang Soo. (2025). A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan. Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies, 20, 127-150.
Park Eunmi and Kim Sang Soo. 2025, "A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan", Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies, vol.20, pp.127-150. Available from: doi:10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
Park Eunmi, Kim Sang Soo "A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan" Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies 20 pp.127-150 (2025) : 127.
Park Eunmi, Kim Sang Soo. A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan. 2025; 20 127-150. Available from: doi:10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
Park Eunmi and Kim Sang Soo. "A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan" Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies 20(2025) : 127-150.doi: 10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
Park Eunmi; Kim Sang Soo. A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan. Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies, 20, 127-150. doi: 10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
Park Eunmi; Kim Sang Soo. A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan. Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies. 2025; 20 127-150. doi: 10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
Park Eunmi, Kim Sang Soo. A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan. 2025; 20 127-150. Available from: doi:10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
Park Eunmi and Kim Sang Soo. "A Phenomenological Study on the Volunteer Activity Experiences of International Students in Busan" Multi-cultural Society and Education Studies 20(2025) : 127-150.doi: 10.22957/mses.20..202507.127
