Examining felt understanding among international students at a UK university: a qualitative study

Felt understanding, defined as the belief that others understand one’s own values and experiences, has been found to be a critical factor for fostering social relationships and improving wellbeing. However, we still know little in phenomenological terms about the experience of feeling understood when it comes to group memberships and social identities. To explore the experiences of feeling understood, we interviewed 21 international students attending a university in the United Kingdom. Thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology suggests that expectations of shared social identity and the experience of high-quality listening and others’ responsiveness are psychological factors that can lead to feeling (mis)understood. Material and structural factors such as organisational barriers and power inequalities between international students and the host community also shape the experience of being misunderstood. Feeling (mis)understood is then implicated in self-confidence, wellbeing, belonging, and social functioning. Key implications include the value of integrating perspectives on shared social identity and high-quality listening, and how people feel misunderstood by not only people, but by other entities such as institutions to which they belong.