The Handbook of Research and Practice in Study Abroad: Higher Education and the Quest for Global Citizenship (review)

In his introduction to The Handbook of Practice and Research in Study Abroad, editor Ross Lewin notes the current trend towards the expansion of study abroad and an increasing push for internationalization of campuses through study abroad. He also recognizes the serious criticisms of study abroad that have gone hand-in-hand with this new emphasis, including the commercialization and commodification of study abroad and an increase in island programs or programs in English-speaking countries. While Lewin acknowledges the legitimacy of these critiques, the purpose of this book is to pull together a wide array of perspectives to demonstrate that "we can democratize study abroad and orient it toward developing critical individuals who are capable of analyzing power structures, building global community, or tangible helping to improve the lives of people around the world" (Lewin, p. xv).

The Handbook is divided into four parts, each with multiple chapters. The authors in part one attempt to define the concept of "global citizenship" through a variety of approaches. In chapter 1, Schattle provides a history of the concept of global citizenship from the Greek philosophers through the formation of the United Nations and summarizes current understandings of global citizenship. Skelly expands on global citizenship and study abroad in chapter 2, arguing that the purpose of study abroad should be to allow students to see themselves and their lives in a broader, global context. For Hovey and Weinberg (chapter 3), this concept is best understood by tying together the concepts of civic engagement and study abroad, while for Kolb (chapter 4) foreign language learning is vital to global citizenship. Finally, in chapter 5 Davies and Pike outline the history of and literature on global education and citizenship education, discuss the ways that these have been united in conceptualizations of global citizenship education, and respond to various criticisms of global citizenship education.

In part two, authors discuss the ways that study abroad and global citizenship contribute to institutional missions. Wanner's chapter 6 outlines a "maximal model" of study abroad that includes institutional commitment, focus on language learning, a focus on less common destinations, and improved access. Che, Spearman, and Manizade also advocate for travel to less familiar destinations in chapter 7, where they discuss the way in which study abroad in these locations can lead to the cognitive dissonance necessary for cognitive and emotional growth. Importantly, they also acknowledge the danger of postcolonial power dynamics in these less familiar destinations and provide strategies for addressing these challenges.

The next four chapters address the connection between study abroad and the mission of specific types of institutions or disciplines. This includes discussion of liberal arts colleges (Brockington & Wiedenhoeft, chapter 8), community colleges (Frost & Raby, chapter 11), nursing education (Currier, Lucas, & Saint Arnault, chapter 9), and teacher education (Cushner, chapter 10). This section concludes with three chapters that provide non-American perspectives on global citizenship and study abroad, including those from Canada (Trilokekar & Shubert, chapter 12), Europe (de Wit, chapter 13), and Singapore (Pang, chapter 14).

Part three deals with the many challenges facing the field of study abroad and strategies for addressing those challenges. Brustein (chapter 15) argues for a systematic approach to internationalization, while Nolan (chapter 16) discusses how to overcome the challenges of implementing institutional change. One of the biggest challenges facing study abroad advocates is resistance from faculty, and Gore discusses how to create a new discourse around study abroad to overcome these faculty attitudes in chapter 17. In chapter 18 Zemach-Bersin critiques the marketing of study abroad programs that frame students' predeparture expectations and shape how they engage in their study abroad experience. Other chapters address the challenges of reaching out to underrepresented students, including minority students (Picard, Bernardino, & Ehigiator, chapter 19) and students majoring in the sciences (Wainwright, Ram, Teodorescu, & Tottenham, chapter 22). The remaining three chapters provide strategies for assessing global citizenship (Deardoff, chapter...