CROSSING CULTURES - STUDENT TRAVEL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

This paper is concerned with what students do and learn when they trav el abroad. First, the behavior and daily routines of American college students travelling in Europe, while on a term abroad, are examined th rough their journals and travel logs and the researcher's observations . What the students learn about other cultures is often superficial, y et the experience is found to be educational in ways that were unexpec ted. Much of the personal benefit of travel comes not from what studen ts learn about the places or cultures they visit, but from the need to continuously, make decisions and deal with the demands of daily life in new and unfamiliar settings. It is suggested that these experiences foster personal development in several ways. (C) 1997 Published by El sevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.