---
_id: '61898'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The experience of loneliness is common among international students who study
    in a foreign country, away from their home. Loneliness refers to the difference
    between the actual and desired social relationships highlighting not only the
    quantity but also the quality of relationships. We argue for a perspective on
    loneliness that emphasizes its social context rather than relying mainly on individualistic
    or psychological interpretations prevalent thus far. In this article, we explore
    network predictors of loneliness among Chinese international students in Germany.
    Through our analysis of a unique data set, we show that when compared to the local
    students, international students tend to feel lonelier. Surprisingly, when we
    discover that when international students have the same network size, those with
    more emotionally supportive ties tend to experience more loneliness compared to
    those with fewer emotionally supportive ties. Not surprisingly, having a romantic
    partner is associated with lower levels of loneliness, especially when they also
    live in the country of education. Additionally, we find that international Chinese
    students who struggle to form cross‐national friendships report higher levels
    of loneliness. By delving into these findings, our research offers a sociological
    account of loneliness among international Chinese and local students in Germany.
author:
- first_name: Basak
  full_name: Bilecen, Basak
  last_name: Bilecen
- first_name: Isabell
  full_name: Diekmann, Isabell
  id: '119325'
  last_name: Diekmann
- first_name: Thomas
  full_name: Faist, Thomas
  last_name: Faist
citation:
  ama: 'Bilecen B, Diekmann I, Faist T. The Puzzle of Loneliness: A Sociostructural
    and Transnational Analysis of International Chinese Students’ Networks in Germany.
    <i>International Migration</i>. 2025;63(2). doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298">10.1111/imig.13298</a>'
  apa: 'Bilecen, B., Diekmann, I., &#38; Faist, T. (2025). The Puzzle of Loneliness:
    A Sociostructural and Transnational Analysis of International Chinese Students’
    Networks in Germany. <i>International Migration</i>, <i>63</i>(2). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298">https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298</a>'
  bibtex: '@article{Bilecen_Diekmann_Faist_2025, title={The Puzzle of Loneliness:
    A Sociostructural and Transnational Analysis of International Chinese Students’
    Networks in Germany}, volume={63}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298">10.1111/imig.13298</a>},
    number={2}, journal={International Migration}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Bilecen,
    Basak and Diekmann, Isabell and Faist, Thomas}, year={2025} }'
  chicago: 'Bilecen, Basak, Isabell Diekmann, and Thomas Faist. “The Puzzle of Loneliness:
    A Sociostructural and Transnational Analysis of International Chinese Students’
    Networks in Germany.” <i>International Migration</i> 63, no. 2 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298">https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298</a>.'
  ieee: 'B. Bilecen, I. Diekmann, and T. Faist, “The Puzzle of Loneliness: A Sociostructural
    and Transnational Analysis of International Chinese Students’ Networks in Germany,”
    <i>International Migration</i>, vol. 63, no. 2, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298">10.1111/imig.13298</a>.'
  mla: 'Bilecen, Basak, et al. “The Puzzle of Loneliness: A Sociostructural and Transnational
    Analysis of International Chinese Students’ Networks in Germany.” <i>International
    Migration</i>, vol. 63, no. 2, Wiley, 2025, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13298">10.1111/imig.13298</a>.'
  short: B. Bilecen, I. Diekmann, T. Faist, International Migration 63 (2025).
date_created: 2025-10-21T11:21:41Z
date_updated: 2025-10-21T12:10:19Z
doi: 10.1111/imig.13298
extern: '1'
intvolume: '        63'
issue: '2'
language:
- iso: eng
publication: International Migration
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 1468-2435
publisher: Wiley
status: public
title: 'The Puzzle of Loneliness: A Sociostructural and Transnational Analysis of
  International Chinese Students’ Networks in Germany'
type: journal_article
user_id: '119325'
volume: 63
year: '2025'
...