AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON INTERCULTURAL PHENOMENON: INTERVIEW WITH ERASMUS STUDENTS

Year 2017, Volume: 41 Issue: 2, 205 - 212, 26.12.2017

Belkıs Zeynep Özışık

Abstract

Taking
the reality of necessity for promoting the dialogue between cultures and
civilizations into consideration a growing body of literature has emphasized
the demand and the role of the intercultural sensitivity in our increasingly
globalized and mobile world. Study abroad programmes are expected to become
primary factor to promote interculturality. Although cultural travels are
significant drivers for combating cultural prejudice, it is still a subject of
debate whether student mobility has actually potential to cross boundaries and
engage in cross cultural interactions. When dealing with a foreign culture in
abroad the students, bringing their cultural memory with them, are supposed to
tolerate themselves and the others with whom they don’t share a common cultural
background. In this respect this study tries to reveal the role of Erasmus to
promote students intercultural sensitivity, students’ prejudices and their
tendency to move from ethnocentric to ethnorelative perspective, to cause
students make self analysis and make discussion on experiences about cultural
bias and handling cultural diversity and to display students’ expectations and
to what extent they get them. For the purpose of gaining information the
researcher has interviewed 20 Erasmus students. Offering interview questions by
way of email, the researcher intends to analyse how the students handle
cultural diversity, stereotypes and make self-analysis on their experience of
cultural threads.

Key
words: Intercultural
sensitivity, stereotype, Erasmus programme, cultural prejudice

Keywords

Intercultural sensitiviy, stereotype, cultural prejudice, erasmus programme

References

• Bloom, D. E. (2004). Globalization and Education: An Economic Perspective. In M. M. Suarez-Orozco & D. B. Qin-Hilliard (Eds.), Globalization: Culture and Education in the New Millenium (pp. 56-78). Los Angeles, CA: California University Press.
• Böttcher, L., Araujo, N. A. M., Nagler, J., Mendes, J. F. F., Helbing, D., & Herrmann, H. J. (2016). Gender Gap in the Erasmus Mobility Program. Plos One, 11(2), 1-8.
• Breznik, K., Skrbinjek, V., & Law, K. M. Y. (2013). On the Erasmus Student Mobility for Studies. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305710521
• Clouet, R. (2006). Between One’s Own Culture and the Target Culture: the Language Teacher as Intercultural Mediator. Porta Linguarum, 5, 53-62.
• Ersoy, A. (2013). Turkish Teacher Candidates’ Challenges Regarding Cross-cultural Experiences: The Case of Erasmus Exchange Program. Education and Science, 38(168), 154-166.
• Gonzalez, C. R., Mesanza, R. B., & Marei, P. (2010). The determinants of international student mobility flows: an empirical study on Erasmus programme. High Educ, 62, 413-430. doi: 10.1007/s10734-010-9396-5
• Guest, M. (2002). A Critical ‘Checkbook’ for Culture Teaching and Learning. ELT Journal, 56(2), 154-161.
• Gundara, J. S. (2014). Global and Civilisational Knowledge: Eurocentrism, Intercultural Education and Civic Engagements. Intercultural Education, 25(2), 114-127. doi: 10.1080/14675986.2014.888802
• Juvan, E., & Lesjak, M. (2013). Erasmus Exchange Program: Opportunity for Professional Growth or Sponsored Vacations? Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, 23(2), 23-29. doi: 10.1080/10963758.2011.10697003
• Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. M. (2010). Intercultural Communication in Contexts (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
• Olson, K. L., & Kroeger, K. R. (2001). Global Competency and Intercultural Sensitivity. Journal of Studies in Intercultural Education, 5(2), 116-137.
• Otero, M. S. (2008). The Socio-Ekonomic Background of Erasmus Students: A Trend towards Wider Inclusion? International Review of Education, 54, 135-154. doi: 10.1007/s11159-007-9081-9
• Otero, M. S., Huisman, J., Beerkens, M., Wit, H., & Vujic, S. (2013). Barriers to International Student Mobility: Evidence From the Erasmus Program. Educational Researcher, 42(2), 70-77. doi: 10.3102/0013189X12466696
• Perry, L. B., & Southwell, L. (2011). Developing Intercultural Understanding and Skills: Models and Approaches. Intercultural Education, 22(6), 453-466. doi: 10.1080/14675986.2011.644948
• Rosvall, P., & Öhrn, E. (2014). Teachers’ Silences About Racist Attitudes and Students’ Desires to Addresss These Attitudes. Intercultural Education, 25(5), 337-348. doi: 10.1080714675986.2014.967972
• Wilson, I. (2011). What Should We Expect of ‘Erasmus Generation’? journal of Common Market Studies, 49, 1113-1140. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5965.2010.02158.x