Becoming the Change We Want to See: Critical Study Abroad for a Tumultuous World

Abstract

Buzzwords like "global competency" sound compelling initially, but without a critical definition, the danger is that the rhetoric becomes an empty sales pitch. In this essay, we argue that we can no longer afford to allow study abroad to be reduced to such catchphrases. We propose a new model for understanding the work of study abroad; Critical Study Abroad. Critical Study Abroad is a structured way of framing our work with direct reference to the current state of the world, and it suggests concrete changes in the work of our programs. It rejects many of the assumptions of previous frames: in place of class-reproduction it offers class-analysis; in place of self-development through accumulation it offers self-development through commitment; in place of internationalism it offers a critical and global perspective; in place of “global competence,” it offers global citizenship. Critical Study Abroad requires that we reevaluate our knowledge production and our teaching, and more specifically, that we reconstitute the field in which study abroad operates.

Awakening Transformative Learning: A Comparison of the Dissonance Experienced by Agriculture Majors During Study Abroad Courses to Costa Rica and Thailand

“…To this point, previous evidence has demonstrated that study abroad courses can yield critical outcomes for students. In particular, students who have participated in such have been shown to have improved capacity for citizenship, emotional growth, and global competence; further, they report a more established sense of career awareness and personal identity (Reilly & Senders, 2009;Roberts & Edwards, 2015, 2016Vanden Berg & Schwander, 2019;Schlarb, 2019). Therefore, study abroad courses have been advanced as a vital component of students' personal and professional development during their academic careers (Blake-Campbell, 2014; Seifen, Rodriguez, & Johnson, 2019).…”

“Call Me a Little Critical if You Will”

“…This fact echoes the current literature regarding the benefits, meaning, and impact of studying abroad. The benefits to students who study abroad include the following: short- and long-term impact on their personal and academic lives (Akande & Slawson, 2000; Chieffo & Griffiths, 2004; Dwyer, 2004a, 2004b; Dwyer & Peters, 2004; Miller-Perrin & Thompson, 2010; Norris & Dwyer, 2005; Redden, 2010; Rowan-Kenyon & Niehaus, 2011), its value as a high-impact educational practice (Bachner & Zeutschel, 2008; Kuh & Schneider, 2008), the fostering of intercultural competence (Byram, 1997; Carlson & Widaman, 1988; Perry & Southwell, 2011; Rexeisen, Anderson, Lawton, & Hubbard, 2008; Salisbury, 2011), increased appreciation for language learning (Amuzie & Winke, 2009; Engle & Engle, 2004; Kinginger, 2009), intensified global citizenship/engagement (Davies, 2006; Paige, Fry, Stallman, Josic, & Jon, 2009; Reilly & Senders, 2009; Woolf, 2010), career impact/professional applicability (Franklin, 2010; Matherly & Nolting, 2007; Norris & Gillespie, 2009), and academic gains upon returning (Hadis, 2005; Magnan & Lafford, 2012). Although the benefits of studying abroad are numerous and clear, students of color remain underrepresented and therefore unable to take advantage of these benefits.…”

The Reverberations of a Graduate Study Abroad Course in India

“…This is an important piece in developing new knowledge that takes into consideration the knowledge production of the other. Reilly and Senders (2009) suggest that developing competence is a balancing act ''between on one hand, understanding another culture through our own projections, and on the other, through that culture's self-explanation. Neither is adequate'' (p. 262).…”