Across the country, flagship universities and liberal arts colleges, regional state campuses and Ivy League institutions continue to adapt to a globalized economy. One key internationalization strategy is study abroad. But who gets to have an overseas experience? In Firsts Abroad, Jeremy Townley explores the stories of first-generation college students who participated in study abroad. Because of their multicultural, multilingual backgrounds, non-traditional paths to and through college, and hard-won life experiences, first-generation students possess knowledge, skills, and savvy developed in their families that help them take advantage of their time overseas. While abroad, these students also experience significant gains in social networks and cultural knowledge, as well as important transformations in worldview, that allow for the possibility of upward social mobility. This powerfully argued book reveals that study abroad, so important in a globalized world, may be most essential for students historically underserved by higher education. 

Jeremy Townley directs the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies program at Oregon State University. He has published in Harvard Review, The New York Review of Books, Slate,and elsewhere.

Introduction

“Why Would You Go … So Far Away?”: Family and Study Abroad  

“We’ll Be There for Each Other”: Short-Term Programs, Lifelong Friends 

“That’s for White People”: Students of Color Abroad 

“Something the Rich Kids … Got to Do”: Study Abroad and Social Knowledge      

Conclusion                              

Appendix A: Participant Profiles

Appendix B: Framing the Study

Appendix C: Research Process

Acknowledgements 

Notes

Suggestions for Further Reading         

Index