Across the country, flagship universities and liberal arts colleges, regional state campuses and Ivy League institutions continue to adapt to a globalized economy. One key internationalization strategy is study abroad. But who gets to have an overseas experience? In Firsts Abroad, Jeremy Townley explores the stories of first-generation college students who participated in study abroad. Because of their multicultural, multilingual backgrounds, nontraditional paths to and through college, and hard-won life experiences, first-generation students possess knowledge, skills, and savvy developed in their families that help them take advantage of their time overseas. While abroad, these students also experience significant gains in social networks and cultural knowledge, as well as important transformations in worldview, that allow for the possibility of upward social mobility. This powerfully argued book reveals that study abroad, so important in a globalized world, may be most essential for students historically underserved by higher education.
“Firsts Abroad is a beautifully written book that provides a compelling account of U.S. students’ experiences studying overseas. It shows how such mobility can significantly benefit those who are the first in their family to attend higher education and reveals the important attributes and insights such students can bring with them which enable them to thrive. This is an uplifting book that should be read widely by all those with an interest in student mobility, whether from an academic or practice-based perspective.”
“This is a wonderful book, full of deep insights. Its arguments draw upon rich interview data, which have been gathered sensitively and with empathy. The book gives a voice to students often marginalized in debates around international mobilities.”
Introduction
1. “Why Would You Go … So Far Away?”: Family and Study Abroad
2. “We’ll Be There for Each Other”: Short-Term Programs, Lifelong Friends
3. “That’s for White People”: Students of Color Abroad
4. “Something the Rich Kids … Got to Do”: Study Abroad and Social Knowledge
Conclusion
Appendix A: Participant Profiles
Appendix B: Framing the Study
Appendix C: Research Process
Acknowledgements
Notes
Further Reading
Index
JEREMY TOWNLEY directs the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program at Oregon State University. He has published in Harvard Review, The New York Review of Books, Slate, and elsewhere.
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