Abstract
International cultural immersion provides an in vivo, authentic, cross-cultural experience that can enhance multicultural awareness, knowledge and skills. This article examines the impact of an international immersion on graduate counseling students’ cultural self-awareness using a qualitative approach. Five graduate counseling students participated in a 3-week study abroad in Belize where they interacted with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds and settings. Four major cultural self-awareness themes emerged from the analysis of participants’ journals, (a) discrimination and prejudice, (b) cultural pride and appreciation, (c) cultural sensitivity, and (d) self-awareness. The findings are presented along with implications for future research and the use of international immersion as a viable experiential teaching strategy to enhance counseling students’ cultural self-awareness.
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Smith-Augustine, S., Dowden, A., Wiggins, A. et al. International Immersion in Belize: Fostering Counseling Students’ Cultural Self-Awareness. Int J Adv Counselling 36, 468–484 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-014-9219-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-014-9219-y