Study Abroad as a Transformational Experience and Its Effect upon Study Abroad Students and Host Nationals in Santiago, Chile

In the last decade, increasing numbers of students have chosen to study abroad. An underlying premise of many of these programs to “nontraditional destinations” is that exposure to these often quite different cultures and living conditions promotes a more positive understanding of the “other.” To date, however, there has been little analysis of the actual impact of the study abroad experience upon participants’ cultural perceptions and personal values. What aspects of values appear to change the most as a result of study abroad? How do interactions with host nationals affect the students’ views of both themselves and the “other”? Does the presence of foreign students affect members of the host society who have extended contact with them? Is the outcome of the exchange experience in terms of cross-cultural understanding any different for participants in study abroad programs located in countries with lower living standards than their home? The purpose of this study is to examine the questions raised above in one specific setting—Santiago, Chile. It explores the effect that the study abroad experience has had upon three distinct groups’ cultural perceptions and personal values: the study abroad students themselves, their Chilean host families, and selected university professors.