Flipping the Script in Study Abroad Participation: The Influence of Popular Culture and Social Networks.

AbstractThis study explores primary perceptions of and motivations to study abroad for adult and higher education learners. A large Hispanic-serving Southwestern university serves as the context of this study where undergraduate students and one graduate student were enrolled in an Italian urbanism study abroad program. The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 47, with six males and 11 females (N = 17) for an average age of 25. Participants self-identified as Caucasian (35%), Asian (6%), Latino/a (24%), Middle-Eastern (6%), and Mexican-American (52) %. Semi-structured interviews assessed formative and influential messages impacting perceptions of and motivations to study abroad. Findings lend special importance to popular culture, peer networks within and outside the institution and socially constructed meaning made about study abroad. Limitations of this study are highlighted, along with implications and directions for future research.Keywords: study abroad; flip the script; higher education; adult higher education (AHE) learnerStudy abroad and international education sit at the forefront of recent conversation in academia as continued interest in the global economy evolves, and more value is placed on international learning for college students. Prevalent themes in research attending to study abroad participation focus on (a) social, (b) institutional, (c) academic, (d) personal, and (e) financial reasons that explain participation in international programs (BailyShea, 2009; Miller, 2004; Salisbury, Umbach, Paulsen, & Pascarella, 2009; Stroud, 2010). However, much of this research fails to explain why participation across diverse groups (including males, non-Caucasian students, and community college students) is unequal (BailyShea, 2009; Brux & Fry, 2010; Stroud, 2010). This qualitative research study is unique to the history of efforts measuring study abroad participation using quantitative methods. Fairly homogenous efforts to understand and encourage study abroad participation create need for novel research that 'flips the script,' or breaks away from the pervasive patterns. Thus, this research incorporates scholarship concerned with study abroad participation including new interdisciplinary literature, adult education theory, and learner-centered approaches. Roberts, Bell and Murphy (2008) refer to 'flipping the script' as taking antiquated perspectives to generate new understanding and insights. Applying this lens to study abroad not only encourages new understandings about perceptions of and motivations to participate in study abroad courses, but also offers advocates/international educators meaningful ways to transform the 3% (mostly female Caucasian) U.S. national average participation rate and encourage study abroad for AHE learners (Institute of International Education [HE], 2013). Review of Related LiteraturePerceptions of and motivations to study abroad with special attention to sociocultural influences are the main focus of the review of literature. The previously mentioned categories of influence (social, institutional, academic, personal, and financial factors) offer insight into study abroad participation and have traditionally employed quantitative methods to students who are in their first and second year of study at the university (BailyShea, 2009; Stroud, 2010). However, the literature rarely offers insight into individual issues of participation inequality (Stroud, 2010). Perhaps one reason is that previous research concerned with study abroad participation has mainly been conducted at large public universities and included a majority of Caucasian females in the learners' first year or two years of study (BailyShea, 2009; Miller, 2004; Peterson, 2003; Salisbury et al, 2009; Stroud, 2010). As a result, the contexts, procedures, and samples across the literature are not diverse and do not assess the full range of students reflected in the general landscape of higher education (Burr, 2005). …