International students' perceptions of social inequalities in the u.s.

For this paper, international students were interviewed about their perceptions of social inequalities in the U.S. In particular, I wanted to know whether perceptions about different types of social inequality, such as gender inequality, racial inequality, or social class inequality had changed after the students’ arrival to the country. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 international students. Findings suggest that living in the country did change most students’ perceptions about social inequality in the country. Changes in perception especially occurred concerning racial inequality, which was perceived as more prevalent by most students than expected. The role of media in shaping the students’ perceptions and the importance of transnational research are discussed.