Toward Reflexivity: Critical Reflections on “Race” and “Whiteness” in the Context of Study Abroad

Abstract

This chapter examines dynamics of “whiteness” as they play out in the context of Australian students undertaking study-abroad experiences in Indonesia. Over recent decades, study-abroad programs have grown in popularity in the higher education sector and are recognized as one way of “globalising” students, to equip them to live in an increasingly connected world. But to what extent do students automatically benefit from being “immersed” in-country and what is the role of critical reflection in fostering an awareness of issues relating to race and culture? The qualitative research discussed in this chapter provides important insights into the ways in which white, Australian students navigate the study-abroad experience, including their perception of themselves in relation to the new cultural context and local people. Insights from student interviews and observations are used to analyze the way that “race” and “culture” are understood by participants, including when these ideas are absent from discourse around the in-country experience. Although participants sometimes referred to notions of “race” or “whiteness,” they often lacked the knowledge and conceptual tools to critically process their experiences. This chapter argues, therefore, that although study abroad presents important opportunities to develop greater reflexivity around notions of racial and cultural difference, these opportunities are not always realized, suggesting the need to facilitate greater critical reflection at all stages of the experience: predeparture, while in-country, and postreturn.