​​Community College, Study Abroad, and the Nationalizing of Citizens

Extensive academic research has written about the role of education in the process of nation building, but very little attention has focused on why people feel––beyond their social differences––nationally united to their peers and tolerate social stratification. Taking Community College (CC) study abroad as a study case, I wish to show this intriguing thesis of how an education experience abroad shapes people––disadvantaged people-–to be patriotic citizens of their nation-state. Using discourse analysis, this research will examine conference reports and newspapers on study abroad from 1980 to 2001; this thesis illustrates how national symbols and values are read, communicated, and interpreted through the means of study abroad. Specifically at CCs in the United States, where many students have multiple identities, such as: immigrants, African-Americans, and first generation students. In modern multiethnic nations, like the United States where people have emotional and patriotic affiliation to other nation-states, study abroad evolves into a method of transmitting dominant national ideals and fabricate collective national identity with minimal risks of alienating citizens from different backgrounds. Given that many students hold historical and cultural affiliations to other nations, international education––not unlike other educational aspirations ––acts as a fitting mechanism that teaches national literacy. An ideal national citizen must not only recognize the commonalities with their fellow citizens, but they also need to collaborate with those different from them. Precisely, what this research project wishes to know is what makes CC students, especially those who benefit the least from this institution, accept this highly stratified education system and feel connected to their peers at more prestigious universities. Central to this thesis is that study abroad at CCs, often considered to be the egalitarian method to cultivate international skills, is in fact a prime contemporary expression of the mechanisms of modern education to nationalize citizens.