EFFECTS OF CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCE ON NATIONAL IMAGES: A STUDY OF SCANDINAVIAN STUDENTS IN AMERICA

In: The journal of conflict resolution: journal of the Peace Science Society (International), Volume 6, Issue 4, p. 319-334

Abstract

As part of a larger res program, questionaires were admin'ed to a group of Scandinavian students shortly after their arrival in the US for a yr of study, & again shortly before their departure. On the basis of responses to a key item, 2 groups were distinguished: 'down-raters,' who showed a decrease in their perceptions of opportunities in their countries, & 'up-raters,' who showed an increase. Examination of other changes manifested by the 2 groups revealed 2 distinct patterns of change in nat'l image: the down-raters tended to show an increased differentiation, while the up-raters tended to change in a global, undifferentiated way. Down-raters approached the experience in a relatively open way: they were more actively motivated for the trip, more accepting of US patterns (though not uncritically), more likely to compare & explore diff's, more likely to become involved with US culture & people they met, & more likely to regard the experience as an opportunity for personal development. Up-raters manifested a relatively resistant approach to their US experiences: they were more likely to be entirely negative to US patterns, less likely to compare, more likely to adjust superficially & avoid personal involvement, more oriented toward work, & less oriented toward personal development & interpersonal relations. Changes in images of their own countries were congruent with these diff approaches to the experience. The study suggests some of the possible relationships between the nature of a person's experience in a foreign country, & the nature of the effects engendered by the trip on his image of his own country. AA.