The Perceptions, Experiences, and Impact of U.S. Black Women Studying Abroad in Ghana

• In Event: Facets of Racial Identity Development for Marginalized Students in Higher Education

Abstract

U.S. women of all races study abroad twice as much as men, yet literature did not begin examining women's gendered experiences until the 1990s. Race-based research seldom accounts for gender or ethnicity, with research focusing on "Black students" or "students of color." This semester-long Black feminist epistemology-informed critical ethnography examining the perceptions, experiences, and impact of U.S. Black women studying abroad at the University of Ghana contributes to these gaps by providing insight into what makes study abroad meaningful and accessible for a “missing” population. It serves to improve intercultural engagement through study abroad program recruitment and implementation recommendations, and U.S. and Ghanaian higher education institutional relationship strengthening.

Author

• Brittany Smotherson, University of Missouri