This thesis examines the spiritual development of students participating in international study programs. A baseline questionnaire was administered to 64 students traveling to Kenya, Ecuador and Jordan for four to six weeks during the summer of 2010. Fifteen students were then selected to participate in pre-travel and post-travel interviews. Using Fowler’s (1981) theory of faith development, students’ international experiences were analysed for dissonance and new beginnings as an extension of their pre-travel spiritual journeys. Students’ observations and perceptions of their host country’s religion are shown to be filtered through their program curriculum. While the majority of student participants in this study did not adhere to any formal system of beliefs, the narratives of some students suggest that their academic field of study and a related passion to help the world provide a unifying narrative for their ultimate environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:OTU.1807/29475 |
| Date | 11 August 2011 |
| Creators | Karram Stephenson, Grace |
| Contributors | Chambers, Anthony |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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