Fit to Belong: Activity and Acculturation of Chinese Students.

International students choosing Canadian universities must negotiate their own cultural values as they adapt, or acculturate, to the new cultural environment. Physical activity has many benefits for newcomers; however, its role in acculturation had not been examined. Through a culturally-sensitive protocol, framed in interpretive phenomenology, the researchers examined how physical activity was used as an expression of acculturation by Chinese students to relate to their home culture and to the new Canadian host culture. Fourteen Chinese students from a mid-size university in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, participated in the study. Four themes emerged: (a) communicating, (b) Canadian environment, (c) belonging, and (d) keeping fit and having fun. The researchers found that participation in physical activity often promoted integration in the new community. Three main recommendations can address belonging on Canadian campuses; (a) increase accessibility to information and activities, (b) address on-campus housing issues, and (c) ease pre-determined grouping for the purpose of engaging in sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]