Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2023

DOI

10.36366/frontiers.v35i3.828

Publication Title

Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad

Volume

35

Issue

3

Pages

303-331

Abstract

This qualitative study explores how US community college students who studied abroad use their existing social capital to enhance their engagement with other students and host country residents. The study also shows that students who studied abroad develop new social capitals for bridging and bonding with others. Data collection consisted of two rounds of in-depth interviews with 27 alumni students as well as a survey on participant background. Findings show that students use their social capital to enhance their relationships with other students and host country individuals. These positive relationships, in turn, enrich and build new social capitals that remained with the students after studying abroad. Skills such as open-mindedness, cross-cultural communication, and consideration provide the social capital that helped student make lasting connections and friendships abroad and when they returned home.

Rights

© 2023 Heidi Fischer, Rosalind Raby

The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License.

ORCID

0000-0002-8577-670X (Fischer)

Original Publication Citation

Fischer, H., & Raby, R. L. (2023). Social capital development in community college alumni who studied abroad. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 35(3), 303-331. https://doi.org/10.36366/frontiers.v35i3.828

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