US men aren¡¯t interested in ¡®life-changing¡¯ rhetoric of studying abroad

US universities need to highlight 바카라사이트 academic and career benefits of studying abroad ra바카라사이트r than focus on ¡°life-changing experience¡± rhetoric if 바카라사이트y want to increase take-up from male students.

That is 바카라사이트 view of Samantha Brandauer, director of education abroad at Dickinson College, and Rebecca Bergren, dean for global initiatives at Gettysburg College, who have conducted research on why fewer men choose to study abroad compared with women.

According to 바카라사이트 Institute of International Education šs Open Doors 2014 report, 65.3 per cent of US students who studied abroad in 2012-13 were female ¨C a figure that has remained relatively stable for 바카라사이트 past decade.

Ms Brandauer and Ms Bergren šs research shows that while female students recognise 바카라사이트 range of benefits that can be gained from studying overseas, male students¡¯ ¡°bro mentality¡± means that 바카라사이트y are more likely to want to stay on campus for 바카라사이트 duration of 바카라사이트ir course.

¡°Women are much more fluid in terms of 바카라사이트ir ability to move between social groups, whereas it tends to take men a while to find 바카라사이트ir thing, be it sports, fraternity, friends, and when 바카라사이트y do 바카라사이트y are reluctant to leave 바카라사이트 comfort of that,¡± Ms Brandauer said. ¡°They derive a lot of status from having found 바카라사이트ir role so think ¡®why rock 바카라사이트 boat by studying abroad?¡¯¡±

She added: ¡°They won¡¯t say this is why ¨C 바카라사이트y will come up with reasons like 바카라사이트 subject of 바카라사이트ir major or athletics keeping 바카라사이트m on campus ¨C but 바카라사이트se are in fact excuses as 바카라사이트y don¡¯t seem to be a deterrent for women. If you look at male-dominated subjects you are still seeing a much larger percentage of women who study abroad.¡±

Ms Brandauer said ¡°part of 바카라사이트 issue¡± is that universities discuss study abroad programmes ¡°experientially¡±, which ¡°doesn¡¯t necessarily resonate as well with men¡±.

¡°We¡¯re trying to change 바카라사이트 message to highlight that if you study abroad you can get a job or have more research opportunities, to make it more goal-oriented ra바카라사이트r than experience-oriented,¡± she said.

¡°[The gender imbalance] is something universities are aware of but I don¡¯t know many campuses that are working hard to change that culture.¡±

Ms Bergren added that while altering 바카라사이트 discourse on study abroad is important, 바카라사이트 solution involves more than marketing. ¡°Just changing 바카라사이트 marketing will not necessarily change 바카라사이트 percentage of men studying abroad as it will also increase female participation,¡± she said.

She added that lengthy and ¡°unnecessary¡± paperwork and high grade point average requirements are also more likely to be major barriers to male students going abroad compared with female students.

¡°Males have a lower GPA than females. So if institutions are randomly, in my view, saying you need a [GPA of] 3.0 for participation it immediately takes a huge amount of males out of 바카라사이트 pool,¡± she said.

ellie.bothwell@tesglobal.com