LE3 .A278 2021

2021

Frank, Lesley

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Cooperative Education (Sociology)

Psychology

Research has shown that international students are vulnerable to experiencing food insecurity in university. The purpose of this study was to understand the unique contributors of the food insecurity experienced by international students in a rural town. A political-economy theoretical perspective was used, along with the theoretical concepts of social stratification and capitalist neoliberal arrangements of the university, to explore the social and cultural relations of food insecurity experienced by international students in their everyday lives. A qualitative approach was used, and five semi-structured interviews were conducted with female international students from different ethnic backgrounds and countries of origin. Qualitative thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed the unique contributors of food insecurity experienced by international students to be transportation inaccessibility, job instability, cultural food inaccessibility, and limited supports and financial aid. This thesis argues that while the international students interviewed originate from different parts of the world, they all experienced and reported similar occurrences of food insecurity while at university in Canada due to systemic and structural factors imbedded in government and institutional policy.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3581