Date of Award
Summer 8-23-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Higher Education
Organizational Unit
Morgridge College of Education, Higher Education
First Advisor
Sarah S. Hurtado
Second Advisor
Darin L. Stewart
Third Advisor
Laura E. Sponsler
Fourth Advisor
Erin Anderson-Camenzind
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Anglosphere, Race, Study abroad, Whiteness, White women
Abstract
The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to better understand race in contexts both domestically and abroad through the perspectives and experiences of white women who studied abroad outside of Europe and the Anglosphere. The investigation explored on how these experiences shaped white women’s understanding of racial identity upon returning to their home institutions. The research question which was addressed was: How do white women experience study abroad programming? Research highlights a critical gap in existing literature on this topic. While white women are centered in the study, it is contextualized considering how People of Color experience the world. Similarly, the aim is to critically engage with whiteness as a form of disruption to white hegemonic systems. Findings indicate that while participants articulate awareness of their privilege, they struggle to connect this awareness to their racial identity; likewise, they displace incoherence regarding their race, often romanticizing and exoticizing the cultures and communities they engaged with abroad. The present study underscores the importance of critical conversations around race and identity in higher education, advocating for institutional support in fostering racialized-identity development among predominantly white study abroad participants. By illuminating the interplay between race, privilege, and identity, this research contributes to a broader understanding of study abroad experiences in a globalized context, calling for a reevaluation of how institutions prepare students to engage with complex socio-political dynamics.
Copyright Date
8-2025
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Audrey Moreno Townsend
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
187 pgs
File Size
1.2 MB
Recommended Citation
Townsend, Audrey Moreno, "Examining Whiteness: A Narrative Inquiry into Racial Identity Among White Women in Study Abroad Programs" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2659.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2659
Included in
Higher Education Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons, Sociology of Culture Commons, Tourism Commons