A vida em comum em sociedades multiculturais: análise das relações sociais e da adaptação dos alunos da UNILA em Foz do Iguaçu PR

Abstract

The Internationalization of Higher Education is an established phenomenon in different countries and institutions, due to its importance for the development of nations, in the formation of human resources and the generation of knowledge. In Brazil, the creation and implementation of the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA), had in its design principles of respect for cultural diversity and the integration of Latin America. In 2014, UNILA had 1356 students enrolled from eleven different nationalities. This study aimed to analyze the adjustment of the students of the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA) in Foz do Iguaçu and the social interactions among Brazilian and foreign students, and between them and the local population. It is an exploratory and transversal research, with quantitative and qualitative nature. As methodology, a semi-structured questionnaire containing objective questions (scored according to a Likert scale) and open ones were used. The objective questions were analyzed quantitatively (percentage and mean calculation) and qualitative responses were analyzed using content analysis method and identification of categories. In this study, 425 students were surveyed, between Brazilian and foreign, representing a probabilistic sample of the student population of UNILA. In addition, an intentional sample of 50 residents of Foz do Iguaçu was also selected to answer the questionnaire, seeking to obtain the perception of the population regarding the UNILA students. As overall results, the survey of the population of Foz do Iguaçu highlighted vulnerabilities in the relationship between city population and students of UNILA and validate some of the assumptions about the positive opinion of the population ranging from the economic benefits generated by installation of a university in the city until the aspects of integration and interaction between people of different nationalities. However, these social relations could also be subject to the categorizations that relate students of UNILA to deviant behavior, indicating possible manifestation of a stigmatization process of the population in relation to these students. A survey of foreign and Brazilians students highlights generally prejudice reports by the population of Foz do Iguaçu, and for the two groups of students, the most cited stress factors were tensions with the police, xenophobia and hostility of the population. Regarding factors that facilitated the adaptation of foreign students in the city, friendships and other categories related to interpersonal relationships and structural factors of support, and Brazilian students cited mainly the classes and daily living as facilitating factors of integration with foreign students. It stands out in the research, the prevalence of the median satisfaction of students with the life in general in Foz do Iguaçu, but a lot of satisfaction with academic life at UNILA, and as noted, the difficulties of coexistence with the local population.