Resources :: Study Abroad and Exchange Research Study
Investigating notions related to social and cultural capital building
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Faculty of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney
Overview
Edited extract from a presentation given at the NAFSA Conference, Washington DC, 27 May 2008
Changing lives through internationalisation: The University of Sydney’s experience
Higher education has begun to focus on study abroad programs as one example of internationalisation strategies (Talburt & Stewart, 1999). The study abroad experience is now a common feature of study opportunities on most university campuses around the world. At the University of Sydney (USYD) over 500 overseas students enrol in USYD's 16 faculties every semester.
If social capital is "investment in social relations by individuals through which they gain access to embedded resources to enhance expected returns of instrumental or expressive actions (Lin 1999:39)" and cultural capital can be defined as "material and symbolic goods that a society considers of worth that also includes accumulated cultural knowledge that confers power and status (Bourdieu, 1996)", then modern universities have a role in developing such capital in their graduates.
Recognising that new social and cultural knowledge is gained and developed in educational experiences, USYD has attempted to establish that every faculty provides study abroad students with teaching and learning experiences that contribute to a key set of graduate attributes which translate into the social, cultural and economic capital of these students, thus preparing them to live in the 'knowledge economy'.
Current scholars describe the education context as contributing to a knowledge economy, as if education is seen by society as a commodity to be traded, allowing competition between societies. Peter Drucker (1992) refers to the knowledge worker in his book The Age of Discontinuity as a person who works with his or her head producing ideas, knowledge and information rather than working with his/her hands. As such he is thought to have unwittingly ushered in the knowledge economy. In the developed countries of the world, knowledge is "traded", "highly prized" and sought after. This is one of the reasons for the success of the study abroad programs. They tap into that futuristic part of the society that seeks to fit into the knowledge economy with competence and confidence.
This study will identify changes over time in the social and educational experiences of the study abroad students capturing their perceptions of a broad range of academic and "non-academic" capacities, aspirations, attainments and pathways while in Sydney. It will involve at least six (6) cohorts of Study Abroad students at The University of Sydney beginning semester 1 2008. We designed our research to enable us to ascertain whether the USYD study abroad experience enriches these young people's learning experience to the extent that they will be contributing to the knowledge economy.
The University of Sydney states that: participating in the Study Abroad and Student Exchange programs is an exciting and challenging way of broadening [students'] horizons in a new environment. [Students] can:
- globalise their educational experience
- enhance academic opportunities that may otherwise be limited or unavailable
- establish professional and career opportunities through networking
- improve language skills and cultural understanding
- experience personal growth by developing self confidence and social skills.
Lin (1999) identified three processes for modeling social capital viz: investment in social capital; access to and mobilisation of social capital and returns of social capital. We will conceptualise USYD's study abroad goals within the frame of Lin's and Bourdieu's theories.
Objectives
Using social and cultural capital theories, we will seek to determine, in what ways and to what extent, the University of Sydney’s Study Abroad programs are perceived to contribute to the social and cultural capital of the participating students.
Conference presentations
NAFSA: Association for International Educators, 2008 Annual Conference & Expo
Washington DC USA, May 2008
HERDSA: The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, 2008 International Conference
Rotorua New Zealand, July 2008
PowerPoint presentations & posters
Learning within a Study Abroad Community: a case study at the University of Sydney
PowerPoint presentation at HERDSA, July 2008 | Download (PDF 2MB)
Effectively and Affectively changing the lives of Study Abroad Students: Survey Data
PowerPoint presentation | Download (PDF 628KB)
Embracing Trends in Internationalisation: The University of Sydney Initiatives
Poster | Download (PDF 1.5MB)
Models for Study Abroad in Education & Social Work: changing professionals’ lives through experiential learning
Poster | Download (PDF 2.3MB)
Short-term Study Abroad Initiatives: Changing Teachers’ Lives
Poster | Download (PDF 2.4MB)