Hannah Parton’s visit made me think a lot about the purpose and issues associated with study abroad. Personally, I thought that study abroad was something out of reach for me as a first generation, low-income student and it wasn’t until I came to Wesleyan that I begin to think that it was more within hands reach. However, I did not pay much attention to the idea that my way of thinking likely stems from the fact that study abroad program advertisements often appeal instead to wealthy American students. The reading, ‘Selling the world: Study abroad marketing and the privatization of global citizenship’ by Zemach-Bersin T argued that study abroad destinations are often represented as literally waiting to fulfill the needs and desires of American students. In addition, in study abroad images, it seems like the White American student is presented as a superior and powerful figure. This is very problematic because it makes it seem as though study abroad is an entitlement in which American college students see it as some sort of ‘rite of passage’ that will foster their personal growth.
I think that the purpose of study abroad should be to immerse yourself in a culture you carry some background knowledge on in order to gain a greater understanding of that region of the world. In preparation for study abroad, I think that it’s essential that students are well versed in the country they choose to visits’ history and current issues so that they are better able to understand their surroundings, avoid making uneducated cultural assumptions, and ultimately learn more from the experience. I remember how when I was applying to colleges, study abroad was a key selling point for several institutions. In my FYS course here at Wesleyan, I also remember learning about how traveling to another country to conduct research could also be a very valuable experience. However, in both of these cases, study abroad was talked about as some sort of ‘valuable’ experience that would connect you with the world so that you could be more of a ‘global citizen.’ But, as mentioned in the reading, several students who engaged in these opportunities walk out of the experience with no idea of what being a global citizen means. Reflecting on the reading and our class discussion, I plan to look more into this concept of ‘global citizen’ to ensure that if I study abroad, I can enter that experience with the right mindset and take important lessons away from it.
