Student Mobility and Narrative in Europe: The New Strangers (Rooutledge Studies in Anthropology)

Bringing together case studies and theory, this book is the first in-depth qualitative study of student migration within Europe. Drawing on the theory of'the stranger'as a sociological type, the author suggests that the travelling European students can be seen as a new migratory elite. The book presents the narratives of travelling students, explains their motivations, the effects of movement into a new social and cultural context, the problems of adaptation, and describes the construction of social networks, and the process of adaptation to new cultures. Student Mobility and Narrative in Europe The new strangers 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 List of tables 12 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 14 1 The stranger’s template 24 Introduction: the conceptual lineage of the sociology of the stranger 24 The spatial position of the stranger 26 Discontinuities in time 29 The social eccentricity of strangers 32 Symbolic ambivalence: the ‘qualities’ of the stranger 36 Fragmented identities 40 Redefining the modern stranger 44 Conclusion: the characteristics of the stranger 46 2 Narratives of student travellers 49 Introduction: a diversity of narratives 49 The European student traveller, a new stranger 50 The student stay abroad, tradition and innovation in Europe 52 Methodological choices 55 Three case studies 59 The profile of the students 60 Conclusion: a narrative polyphony 62 3 Mobility capital: a taste for living abroad 64 Introduction: a migratory elite 64 Family history and mobility 65 Travellers and others...: the travel bug 69 Previous experience of mobility 73 Learning mobility, a cautious progress 75 The first experience of adaptation as an initiation 76 Personality features of the potential wanderer 80 The mobility capital 83 Conclusion: the potential wanderer – ‘a flavour for living abroad’ (John) 87 4 An adventure into another time–space 89 Introduction: an invitation to travel 89 Living abroad as an imperative 90 Motivations: residence abroad as an added value 91 The exultation of language: ‘speaking foreignness’ 95 Bilingual or trilingual students: the deepening process 97 Attraction to difference: ‘living foreignness’ 100 International openness: at ease in diversity 105 ‘A kind of emptiness’ (Sophie): life abroad as self-discovery 109 An adventure into another time–space 112 Conclusion: continuity and discontinuity 113 5 The arrival: a rite of passage 116 Introduction: admission into a new cultural world 116 The stranger as an intruder 117 Arrival as a rite of passage 119 Host environments and approaching strangers: perceived openness 121 The choice of host country: selective affinities 123 Arriving in a foreign country and feeling lost 124 Communication strain or ‘culture fatigue’ 128 Solitude, alienation, anomie 133 Conclusion: jumping from the stalls to the stage 136 6 Redefining culture shock in a European context 138 Introduction: the personal crisis questioned 138 The narratives on culture shock 140 Conflict, crisis, shock, surprise or discovery? 144 The U- and W-curve hypothesis revisited 146 The year abroad: the different stages 149 Sojourners and home ties: the sanctuary of the past 152 Re-entry shock 154 Conclusion: redefining culture shock – ‘you bend, but you don’t break’ (Damien) 157 7 New spaces, new places 159 Introduction: a strange environment 159 New spatial conditions: the geographical territory 160 Different social relations 162 Staking out a familiar habitat: from dislocations to familiarity 166 A personal space: the issue of accommodation 169 Conclusion: a new appraisal of space – ‘the difficulty with living in one place’ (Hélène) 174 8 The new social setting 176 Introduction: moving in and taking part 176 New socio-professional settings and roles 177 University life as an Erasmus student 178 Schools in the life of language assistants 180 The EAP dual experience 181 Participation in the new social scene: shared activities 184 ‘Cultural’ activities 188 Learning a foreign culture abroad 190 Conclusion: from space to society 192 9 The creation of a new social fabric 194 Introduction: social seduction 194 Social contacts and degrees of strangeness 195 The ethnic group 197 The international group 201 A special international group: the EAP social scene 205 The ‘seduction’ of the natives 207 ‘The key to getting on with people’ (Marina): key people 211 Conclusion: from new spaces to new faces – social relationships as home 215 10 Adaptation: chameleon or clam 218 Introduction: adaptation, state and process 218 Defining adaptation 219 Feeling ‘comfortable’ or ‘at home’: acquiring ‘a history’ over time 222 The adaptation process: four facilitating factors 225 Personal qualities of good adaptors: openness, tolerance and flexibility 229 Assessing adaptation: three contrasting narratives 234 The students’ rating of their final position 237 Conclusion: ‘a life lesson’ (Hélène) 239 Conclusion 241 Annexes 248 Annexe 1. The experience of strangers crossing borders: general properties 248 Annexe 2. Study abroad questio6nnaire 248 Annexe 3. The interview schedule 250 Annexe 4. Interviewee profiles 252 Annexe 5. Nationality of interviewees 259 Annexe 6. Students with mixed families 259 Annexe 7. Previous experiences abroad 260 Annexe 8. Motivations of some Erasmus students 263 Annexe 9. Motivations of some EAP students 264 Annexe 10. Forms of accommodation selected by the students 265 Notes 266 Bibliography 275 Index 283 The New Strangers "Bringing together case studies and theory, this book is the first in-depth qualitative study of student migration within Europe. Drawing on the theory of 'the stranger' as a sociological type, the author suggests that the traveling European students can be seen as a new migratory elite. The book presents the narratives of traveling students, explains their motivations, the effects of movement into a new social and cultural context, the problems of adaptation, and describes the construction of social networks, and the process of adaptation to new cultures."--Publisher's information