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ERIC EJ878391: "The Pursuit of Exotica:" A Comment
by ERIC
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Michael Woolf's article, "Come and See the Poor People:
The Pursuit of Exotica," is a provocative critique of
what he calls the "new orthodoxy" of promoting study
abroad in non-traditional destinations. Woolf's
underlying point is that the current emphasis on
promoting student mobility to non-traditional, i.e. non-
European, destinations "is neither entirely realistic nor
wholly desirable." Among the problems he identifies are
the prevalent use of the language of tourism; the self-
engaged nature of student responses; and the downgrading
of "the inherent seriousness of international education."
Underlying all this is the absence of an academic agenda
to drive the movement. Woolf is also critical of
arguments in favor of non-traditional destinations that
highlight national security considerations, and he raises
the interesting issue of the resource and academic
implications of sending large numbers of US students to
universities in these countries. He concludes by arguing
that for the promotion of study abroad to non-traditional
destinations to be legitimate it must "be driven by a
combination of curriculum development on US campuses with
an investment in building infrastructure in universities
in those regions." The author could not agree more with
this conclusion. He also agrees with some of Woolf's more
specific arguments, but there are a number of points of
Woolf's analysis which could, perhaps, be more complete.
This comment will take up some of these issues. It is
intended as a friendly and supportive comment on Woolf's
timely and thought-provoking article as well as a
broadening and sharpening of his critique. (Contains 6
notes.)
Date Published: 2016-05-20 19:42:28
Identifier: ERIC_EJ878391
Item Size: 1001688
Language: english
Media Type: texts
# Topics
ERIC Archive; Curriculum Development;...
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