This study of the process of readjustment for secondary students returning home after twelve months abroad was investigated from a family perspective. Although researchers suggest that interactions between the student and others in the home environment facilitate smooth readjustment, little is known about how the family relates during this transition period. In this study, the interactional dynamics within the family during the student's readjustment were explored. Theoretical concepts from systems theory and family developmental theory were used to further understanding of the interactional processes within the family system. A multiple single-case study research design was employed, where eight families were interviewed at three points in time: one month before the student's return; one month after the student's return: and at four to five months after return. All family members were interviewed at each stage, using a semi-structured interview guide designed to gather data about family relationships during this period. Changes in family dynamics between siblings, the returnee student, and parents, were a significant finding of this study, although these changes varied across families. A family perspective of the readjustment process was collated from descriptive accounts from family members, where four phases of the family experience could generally be described: excitement, uncertainty, rediscovery and reorganisation of the family system. It was concluded that the study showed evidence that the readjustment process was influenced by the interactions and interrelationships within the family, where not only the student had changed but also the family.

Doctor of Philosophy / School of Family Studies and Human Services / Karen S. Myers-Bowman / Every year more than 100,000 high school students around the world embark on a journey to study abroad for a few weeks up to a full year (CSEIT, n.d.). Most studies of international exchange programs address the university level, while very few researchers have examined high school study abroad. Of those who have, the focus has been almost exclusively on individual exchange students. For example, researchers have identified that some of the benefits for exchange students include developing a broader global perspective (Gu, Schweisfurth, & Day, 2010), increasing their intercultural competence, maturity, and sensitivity (Shiri, 2015), an increase in their personal development and growth (Geeraert & Demoulin, 2013), and increases in self-confidence (Hadis, 2005). While exchange students are in a unique position of being members of two families, the literature focusing on sending parents is currently nonexistent. The current applied qualitative study focused on investigating and giving voice to 26 sending parents’ living experiences. The participants in this study were in four participating countries – Denmark, Hungary, Norway, and Turkey. Using the lenses of family systems theory, these individual cases generated general patterns and common themes through collaborative, inductive, cross-case analysis. The results suggested that the experience of sending parents offers them some benefits at the micro and the macro levels (for themselves, their families, and for the world community). The analysis also revealed several challenges they faced and the coping strategies they utilized before, during, and after their teenagers studied abroad. This project begins to build a body of knowledge about the sending parents’ experiences, needs and strategies that can help guide the development of evidence-informed best practices as well as open a body of knowledge that can be essential to preparedness and understanding of exchange programs, to family professionals, host families, sending families, international students, our local communities and schools, and to assist them in their collaboration with each other to make these important, life-changing, world-changing experiences even better.

<p>‘Internationalisation of higher education’ is considered a significant issue in many countries.One effective way to achieve internationalisation is by having an exchange study program. Thisis something which has been promoted by universities all around the globe. It has been foundthat the experience of studying abroad is beneficial to the students. There has been a trend ofincreasing number of students going to study abroad. In Sweden, Jönköping InternationalBusiness School (JIBS) is one of the most internationalised business schools that promoteexchange studies extensively. To promote study abroad it is important to know what motivatesand influences the students to go on exchange. There has been previous research oninternationalisation and push-pull factors of student mobility which acted as a guideline for thisthesis. Thus it was appealing to study the reasons behind the phenomenon of students goingabroad for exchange studies.The purpose of this paper is to explore the push-pull factors influencing student’s destinationchoice for exchange study abroad. JIBS is the institution where the case study was conducted.The empirical data have been gathered by using a qualitative approach combining face-to-faceinterviews and focus groups with international exchange students and Swedish students. Toanalyse the findings, theories relating to marketing communications in service and productattribution were used.The results derived from the empirical findings show the push-pull factors which motivatestudents to go on exchange. The initial push factor is the promotion and encouragement tostudents for studying abroad by the university. Exchange studies helps to enhance students’personal development with intercultural communication, practicing language skills andtravelling. These skills and experiences add value to their CV.On the other hand the pull factors which the students take into consideration for deciding ontheir host countries and institutions are geographic location, weather, culture, and the economicand social position of the country. Living cost and the education system which includeslanguage used, courses offered, perceived image, communication and cooperation andrecommendations are factors influencing the choices of a student’s decision on the destinationfor studying abroad. The authors in this thesis summarised their findings in a model of pushpullfactors which is specialised only for exchange students. The process of considering thesefactors leads to the outcome of choosing the destination for studying abroad. The authorsbelieve the results of this study can be applied on other universities for further research andmay be appropriate for its own case to focus on areas where it needs to improve.ii</p>

‘Internationalisation of higher education’ is considered a significant issue in many countries.One effective way to achieve internationalisation is by having an exchange study program. Thisis something which has been promoted by universities all around the globe. It has been foundthat the experience of studying abroad is beneficial to the students. There has been a trend ofincreasing number of students going to study abroad. In Sweden, Jönköping InternationalBusiness School (JIBS) is one of the most internationalised business schools that promoteexchange studies extensively. To promote study abroad it is important to know what motivatesand influences the students to go on exchange. There has been previous research oninternationalisation and push-pull factors of student mobility which acted as a guideline for thisthesis. Thus it was appealing to study the reasons behind the phenomenon of students goingabroad for exchange studies.The purpose of this paper is to explore the push-pull factors influencing student’s destinationchoice for exchange study abroad. JIBS is the institution where the case study was conducted.The empirical data have been gathered by using a qualitative approach combining face-to-faceinterviews and focus groups with international exchange students and Swedish students. Toanalyse the findings, theories relating to marketing communications in service and productattribution were used.The results derived from the empirical findings show the push-pull factors which motivatestudents to go on exchange. The initial push factor is the promotion and encouragement tostudents for studying abroad by the university. Exchange studies helps to enhance students’personal development with intercultural communication, practicing language skills andtravelling. These skills and experiences add value to their CV.On the other hand the pull factors which the students take into consideration for deciding ontheir host countries and institutions are geographic location, weather, culture, and the economicand social position of the country. Living cost and the education system which includeslanguage used, courses offered, perceived image, communication and cooperation andrecommendations are factors influencing the choices of a student’s decision on the destinationfor studying abroad. The authors in this thesis summarised their findings in a model of pushpullfactors which is specialised only for exchange students. The process of considering thesefactors leads to the outcome of choosing the destination for studying abroad. The authorsbelieve the results of this study can be applied on other universities for further research andmay be appropriate for its own case to focus on areas where it needs to improve.ii

This thesis has established exchange students as a particular group of tourists and a segment in their own right. The purpose of the study was to find out to what extent a study abroad destination’s role as a tourism destination affects exchange students when they choose where to study abroad. The study was conducted through an online survey answered by exchange students of multiple nationalities and study abroad destinations. The study found that although there were clear individual differences in the degree of motivation, tourism affects the choice of study abroad destination to a great extent and the vast majority of exchange students choose to study in what they view as a tourism destination.

Globaliseringen har lett till en markant ökning av internationella studenter. Tidigare forskning tyder på att det är en utsatt grupp vars behov skiljer sig från nationella studenters. Studiens syfte var att undersöka vilka stressorer som internationella studenter vid Mälardalens universitet upplever, vilka typer av stöd som studenterna upplever bidrar till deras välbefinnande samt vilka stödinsatser de anser saknas. Nio semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes som analyserades med tematisk analys. Tre teman relaterades till upplevda stressorer: språkbarriärer, skillnader i kursupplägg samt finansiella stressorer. Fyra teman kopplades till stöd som hjälper: emotionellt stöd, värderande stöd, informativt stöd samt instrumentellt stöd. Resterande två teman relaterades till avsaknad av stöd: bristfällig integration mellan internationella och svenska studenter samt stöd från universitetet. Resultatet visade att de upplevda stressorerna har en direkt eller indirekt påverkan på studenternas välbefinnande, att socialt stöd är väsentligt för stresshantering samt att avsaknaden av stöd ledde till ökade stressnivåer och ett försämrat välbefinnande hos respondenterna.

Studiens syfte är att studera utbytesstudenters rumsliga relation till fem utvalda besöksattraktioner med tyngdvikt på vad för sorts tankar, känslor, värderingar och mening som dessa genererar. Vi har genomfört sex stycken kvalitativa enskilda intervjuer samt en fokusgruppintervju med utbytesstudenter, där fotografier på fem uppvisade besöksattraktioner i Stockholm har presenteras. Dessa besöksattraktioner var Stadshuset, Ericsson Globe/Skyview, Kungliga Slottet, Vasamuseet samt Gröna Lund. Våra underliggande frågeställningar har behandlat besöksattraktionernas fysiska utformning, vad dessa representerar samt vad utbytesstudenterna finner om dess geografiska placering i förhållande till hur staden är utformad. Den teoretiska genomgången behandlar platsens och rummets dimensioner samt semiotik. Ett av uppsatsens viktigaste bidrag handlar om hur makten kan uttryckas i rummet genom besöksattraktioner samt hur viktigt det är att skapa en platskänsla vid utformningen av besöksattraktioner. / The purpose of this thesis is to study foreign exchange student’s spatial relation to five chosen visitor attractions situated in Stockholm. Our main focus lies within what kind of thoughts, feelings, values and significance that these attractions generates. We have conducted six in depth interviews along with one focus group where we have presented images of the selected attractions which are The City Hall, The Ericsson Globe/Skyview, The Royal Palace, The Vasa museum and Gröna Lund, which is Stockholm’s Tivoli. Our research has revolved around questions such as the physical layout of the attractions, what they represent and the importance of where the attractions are located in relation to the city. The theoretical review mainly deals with the dimensions of place, space and semiotics. One of the thesis main contributions describes how power can be expressed in space through visitor attractions, and the importance of being able to create a sense of place in the design of visitor attractions.

While once almost indistinguishable, the systems of higher education in the United States and the United Kingdom have diverged during the past 200 years to the point where today there are few similarities. However, due to increasing globalization and the growing ubiquity of the internet, many contemporary issues in higher education are often faced by institutions across the globe. After detailing the historical role of scholarship and teaching in the two countries, this study concentrates on two aspects that have been extensively researched in recent years, namely the role of technology in the classroom and the balance that many modern day faculty must seek with regard to teaching and research. A new perspective on these issues is then explored by considering the perceptions of current and former exchange students from the United States and the United Kingdom. Data were collected by interviewing 12 students representing eight universities in the two countries, and an analysis was conducted according to established phenomenological principles. Four primary themes emerged as a result, which allowed me to seek commonalities and differences with the existing literature, and make suggestions for the direction of future research. The conclusions made center around how students want technology to be used by faculty in a moderated fashion, and a distinction is formed between the way in which faculty and institutions in the two countries use web-based technology. With regard to the teaching-research nexus, this study largely refutes the notion that contemporary faculty prioritize research to the detriment of undergraduate students, and posits that the two disciplines are integrated in the sense that they can positively affect each other.

Utbytesstudenter har i tidigare studier identifierats som ett betydelsefullt segment inom ungdomsturismen, däremot har många destinationer inte tagit tillvara på de fördelar denna grupp för med sig. Denna studie undersökte vilka fördelar Kalmars utbytesstudenter förde med sig till staden. Eftersom tidigare studier har identifierat de tre största fördelarna som ekonomiska, kulturella och marknadsföring blev det dessa tre kategorier som vi valde att undersöka i vår studie. Denna studie bygger på en enkätundersökning och tre olika former av intervjuer.   Ur ett ekonomiskt perspektiv visade vår studie att Kalmars utbytesstudenter betalade en levnadskostnad, de förde med sig besökare och de reste i staden, regionen, i övriga Sverige och Europa under sitt utbyte. Många av studenterna kunde även tänka sig att återvända till Kalmar i framtiden. När det kom till marknadsföring visade vår undersökning att majoriteten av utbytesstudenterna hade en positiv bild utav Kalmar. De flesta använde sig även av sociala medier och en stor del av dessa uppgav att de skrivit om eller nämnt Kalmar i sina uppdateringar. Majoriteten av studenterna kunde även tänka sig att rekommendera Kalmar till framtida utbytesstudenter. Den största kulturella påverkan utbytesstudenter har på en destination är att de utsätter värdbefolkningen för andra kulturer, men för att detta ska kunna ske behöver de interagera med värddestinationen. Vår undersökning visade att i Kalmar sker inte detta fullt ut, studenterna själva kände att de sällan interagerade med värdbefolkningen under sin tid här.   Vår slutsats blev att ur ett ekonomiskt och kulturellt perspektiv kunde vi inte med säkerhet säga till vilken utsträckning utbytesstudenterna kan anses vara en betydelsefull grupp för Kalmar. Däremot såg vi att ur ett marknadsföringsperspektiv fanns flertalet fördelar. Slutsatsen blev därmed att även om vi inte kunde mäta utsträckningen av de olika fördelarna så finns dessa och bör tas tillvara på av Kalmar. / Exchange students has been seen as an important segment of youth tourism according to previous studies of the topic, nevertheless have destinations failed to see the connection between the group and the advantages that comes with. This study aimed to investigate what kind of advantages the exchange students of Kalmar brings to the city. Previous research discusses the biggest advantages as economic, cultural and marketing, these three became the categories we investigated in our study. The study is based on a survey and three interviews.   Our study showed that the exchange students in Kalmar payed basic living costs. They also brought visitors and travelled around the destination as well as to other Swedish and European cities. They proved to have long term economic advantages since many of them planned to come back in the future. The result of the study when it came to marketing was that most of the students had a positive image of Kalmar, most of them also used social media and talked about or mentioned Kalmar in their updates. Many of the students would also recommend Kalmar to future exchange students. The biggest cultural impact according to previous research was that exchange students expose the host society for different cultures, however this can only happen if the exchange students gets the chance to interact with the local people and students at the destination. Our study showed that the exchange students did to some extent interact with the local students but not very much with the local society.   Our conclusion became that we couldn’t say for sure to what extent exchange students affected Kalmar from an economic and cultural perspective. But we can say that from the marketing perspective the exchange students brought some advantages. We think that even though we cannot say for sure to what extent the students affect Kalmar, we do believe that the advantages that comes with the exchange students needs to be addressed and recognized by the destination and its actors.

The mental constructions of other places are based on impressions from everything that surrounds us in our everyday life, e.g. pictures, videos, texts and narratives. The tourism industry is especially influential when it comes to creating the image of before “unknown places”. Furthermore, it has a tendency to embellish and idealize people and places located in what is commonly known as the Third World. The mental construction of South Africa, today a rapidly growing tourist country among Western tourists, is especially interesting to investigate given its very long and complex colonial history. The purpose of this paper was to describe and analyze the image of South Africa among a group of Western exchange students who each of them had spent one semester at the Stellenbosch University, situated in the Western Cape in South Africa. This was made through a text analysis which was based on open conversations/interviews with five former students. They were asked to tell about their time in South Africa regarding expectations they had, what they experienced on place and how their image of South Africa altered during time. The analysis was made based on post-colonial theory with the emphasis on Edward Said’s notions Orientalism and imaginary geographies. The analysis was also put in comparison to what other writers researching the similar issues have found. The analysis showed that all students had an imaginary Africa. South Africa’s small town Stellenbosch in its colonial appearance surprised them and wasn’t considered as “the real Africa”. The exotic animals and the locals though, were just as they’d expected them to be – very exotic respectively nice and friendly. The study indicates that the imaginary Africa is deeply rooted and that it takes much reflection to change or influence these imaginaries.