Identity in Flux: Negotiating Identity While Studying Abroad

Study abroad is one aspect of global movement that connects individuals of diverse backgrounds. Individuals studying abroad are proffered to negotiate self-identity when they confront novelty and new contexts. This study chose to use the qualitative method of phenomenological interviews to examine how individuals experience themselves and others when abroad. Specifically, the study focused on modifications of self-identity via self-images. The results presented emotions, cognitions, and behaviors experienced by individuals during global encounters. The study indicates that individuals negotiate identity while studying abroad and modify self-images associated with personal identity (unique character traits) rather than social identity (shared traits with ingroup). The authors propose that identity among global citizens is an ongoing process that is context dependent and less stable than previously regarded.