ERIC Number: EJ1350430
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Aug
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1085-4568
EISSN: EISSN-2380-8144
'Things on Your Doorstep You Don't Even Think About': Thinking Intercultural Engagement with Psychodynamic Theory
Zoi Simopoulou; Alette Willis; Lorena Georgiadou
Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, v34 n2 p302-322 Aug 2022
Opportunities for working, volunteering, and studying abroad have become popular in higher education as vehicles for the development of cultural awareness and global citizenship. However, such experiences on their own do not guarantee the development of such attributes. What appears to be essential to maximizing the benefits of educational sojourns are well-designed training and support provisions. In this paper, we present an analysis of a training and support program that we piloted in order to explore what aspects of the program facilitated the development of intercultural skills and how they did so. In our analysis, we draw on concepts from psychodynamic theory to discuss the impact that preparation and support can have in enabling students to venture out into the world of difference. Illuminating the phenomenon of study abroad through psychodynamic theory can offer a useful lens that may facilitate a move towards more relational and reflexive practices, promoting meaningful intercultural engagement.
Descriptors: Intercultural Communication, Study Abroad, Cultural Awareness, Global Approach, Educational Benefits, Program Design, Pilot Projects, Educational Practices, College Faculty, Program Evaluation, Sense of Community, Cultural Differences, Orientation, Emotional Response, Security (Psychology), Undergraduate Students, Workshops, Student Attitudes, Overseas Employment, Electronic Publishing, Student Records, Video Technology, Self Concept, Transformative Learning, Learning Activities, Educational Technology
Frontiers Journal. Dickinson College P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013. Tel: 717-254-8858; Fax: 717-245-1677; Web site: https://www.frontiersjournal.org/index.php/Frontiers
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A