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ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Expanding perceptions of self and other through study abroad

Williams, Benjamin McKay
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1163539049

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Educational Policy and Leadership.
This dissertation explored the ways in which White, African American and Biracial American undergraduate and graduate students made meaning of race and other aspects of identity. Using a constructivist grounded methodology this study revealed a new way to conceptualize the processes by which students’ perceptions of self and other were shaped through a course on the culture and society of Southern Africa and by studying abroad on a short-term program to that region: the dynamics of integrating lenses. In the U.S. classroom, students moved from ignorance about the continent of Africa and the region of Southern Africa to an initial understanding. Through the combined course and study abroad program, the White undergraduate students’ unexamined White privilege was surfaced and examined. At the same time, Black students’ pride in being Black and their connection to their histories was deepened. Their assumptions about race and identification with Africa were also broadened. The result of the group cohesiveness and support was that White and Black students who had never had friends of the “other” race expanded their relationships to incorporate new people who they may never have interacted with otherwise. Through personal stories students were exposed to new perspectives and experiences, first, in the U.S. classroom, later in Southern Africa, and also in the comfort and security of the group itself. Through personal relationships with the instructor, the tour guides and fellow students, participants became engaged. Through learning about Southern Africa: its history, the society, and its many cultures, students became invested in the stories and the people who told them. As a result, they felt compelled to confront the reality they were facing. Through reflecting on those experiences in the support of the group, students were able to grapple with the dissonance between their earlier assumptions, perceptions, and beliefs and the new experiences they were having. This led to a greater complexity of thinking around issues of race, community, and globalization, and an expansion of the lenses they used to perceive themselves and others.
Ada Demb (Advisor)
284 p.
study abroad; short-term study abroad; racial identity; Southern Africa/South Africa; constructivist grounded theory; qualitative research; experiential learning

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Williams, B. M. (2006). Expanding perceptions of self and other through study abroad [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1163539049

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Williams, Benjamin. Expanding perceptions of self and other through study abroad. 2006. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1163539049.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Williams, Benjamin. "Expanding perceptions of self and other through study abroad." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1163539049

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1163539049
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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.