Sojourner adjustment: does missionary status affect acculturation?

An investigation of relationship correlates and predictors of cultural adjustment among missionaries.

“…However, while this research on the cultural adjustment of expatriates as a whole can shed some light on the process of missionary cultural adjustment, studies have shown that differences between missionaries and their fellow expatriates do exist, especially related to their relationships and how they interact with host nationals and other expatriates (Navara & James, 2002;. These findings underscore the critical need for additional studies that specifically examine missionaries and their relationships separately from the general expatriate population.…”

“…These include the value they put on religion and spirituality, as well as their belief in a call or purpose that has led them to the mission field (Navara & James, 2005). Studies have shown that there are also differences between the cultural adjustment of missionaries and other expatriates, including differences in coping strategies, satisfaction with their position, and level of social support in relationships (Navara & James, 2002;. Therefore, it is important to examine missionary cultural adjustment separately from the cultural adjustment of other expatriates in order to determine how missionary needs may differ from those of other expatriate groups.…”

“…Expatriate: an individual who relocates to a new host culture with the intent to remain there for an extended period of time, usually not less than a year (Navara & James, 2002).…”

“…Expatriates, often referred to as sojourners in the literature, are individuals who relocate to a new host culture with the intent to remain there for an extended period of time, usually not less than a year (Navara & James, 2002). This group can include military personnel and their families, aid workers, technical assistants, business managers, embassy staff, professional scholars, and exchange students, as well as the missionary population.…”

“…However, information related specifically to the cultural adjustment of missionaries, a small but important subcategory of the larger expatriate group, is considerably lacking (Kimber, 2012) and often has been extrapolated from the greater expatriate population, in spite of the fact that missionaries do not always experience cultural adjustment in the same way as other expatriates (Navara & James, 2002;. The World Christian Database reports that the number of missionaries from all religious denominations is steadily rising, with estimates of approximately 430,000…”