- Can I negotiate my own personal values compare with my host country’s attitudes about socially accepted identity roles for time abroad?
- Where do people of my race/ethnicity fit into my host country’s society? Am I likely to be a target of racism, or am I going to be treated the same way in my host country as I am in the US?
- How will I reflect on my own class status as I navigate new class structures in new environments?
- What is the history of ethnic or racial tension in the country? Is the situation currently hostile to members of a minority race, majority race, or particular ethnicity or religion?
- Are issues of racism/ethnic discrimination influenced by immigration in my host country? How do politicized immigration concerns fuel racial tensions? What is the character of immigrant communities?
- Does your ability to be LGBTQ and out in the United States conflict with your host country's religious or cultural values and traditions?
- Does your study abroad program offer LGBTQ friendly housing?
- What are the society’s perceptions and expectations for men, women and transgender individuals in my host country?
- Are there safety considerations that LGBTQ individuals should be aware of?
- Are there differences in political and social power based on gender?
- How can I explain to my family and friends that a study abroad experience can contribute to
achievement of my academic and career goals? - How can I let my family and friends know that it is safe to travel abroad?
- Since no one in my family has ever studied abroad, who can help me check to see that I am on the right track as I plan?
- Will my disability affect which programs I consider and how will I plan ahead to manage my condition before going abroad?
- What barriers might I encounter (both in planning to go abroad, and while abroad
) , and how will I overcome them?
Diversity and Identity
Identity Beyond Bowdoin
How do other countries consider issues of diversity, identity, inclusion and equity within their own cultural framework? How do I leverage the skills I’ve already built in adjusting to new environments to the study abroad context? In what ways does gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, and other social identities influence your time abroad? How accessible are foreign countries to differently abled individuals? What will it be like to explain your goal to study off-campus to your parents when you are a first-generation college student? How will economic class and privilege play into the way in which I navigate my study off-campus experience?
Navigating social identities while studying abroad can be simultaneously challenging and incredibly meaningful, providing opportunities for cultural exchange and learning. One of our office’s guiding principles is that students should feel supported while considering and participating in off-campus opportunities as it relates to individual identity. Diversity, identity, and inclusion likely play a role in how you experience Bowdoin. Likewise, these issues will also impact how you navigate and experience off-campus study in new and different. Understanding local cultural norms considering questions about how diversity and identity are addressed in new contexts can be a significant part of your off-campus experience.
A student dying batik with her tutors in Indonesia (at an university.)