As a student at St. Lawrence University, I have had the pleasure of going abroad to Africa and Europe as a first- year student in the Global Francophone Culture pro- gram. I traveled to France, Canada, and Senegal to learn the romantic language of Francais. As a naïve 18-year- old, I never second-guessed anything I experienced on my trip. I thought my ad- ventures were seldom, until I encountered others with the same story as me. Of course, the narratives weren’t exact, but they were pretty recog- nizable. Those who went to Europe and Africa had con- gruent tales. How could there be so many similarities?
In my defense, I think there are divisions between coun- tries here. There are “Western Countries” and “Developing Ones.” Despite which catego- ry you choose, you are in for a journey.
According to the SLU CIIS page, this is what you should expect when you’re in Eng- land.
“The courses offered on the London Programme are de- signed to immerse students in the city and its resources: attending live theatre pro- ductions, meeting actors and directors, visiting historical sites, meeting for the art class in many of London’s most re- nowned galleries, exploring culturally diverse neighbor- hoods, and so much more.”
If you are headed to Kenya, get excited for this. According to the SLU CIIS page:
“Upon their arrival, students are introduced to the various aspects of the Pro- gram and to our staff. A main aspect of the orientation is to prepare students to live independently in Kenya. To achieve this they are first introduced to our neighbor- hood where they learn how to orientate themselves and take care of their personal needs such as shopping, en- tertainment, etc. Safety and security are emphasized, not only through lectures and discussions but also through field visits and real life ex- periences. Students also visit Nairobi’s central busi- ness district on their own, use public transport and start practicing to engage with Kenyans one- on-one.”
Practicing to engage with Kenyans one on one? I was a bit perplexed about this. Is a Kenyan that eccentric compared to an American or European? Safety and secu- rity are emphasized, not only through lectures and discus- sions? I presume foreigners are supposed to be seen as “different and vulnerable,” but this can be said for Lon- don and Rouen too. When someone is not in their ele- ment, they could be at risk anywhere. Again, I do not understand why this is an emphasis in the Kenyan program; I think there should be deliberate steps to halt the permeation of debauched la- bels in African countries.
If you still do not see an issue with these summaries, I’ll give you a couple of examples.
If you go to Senegal, you will go to a rural village. You will go to a hospital to view sick people. You will go to the largest dump in Dakar. In France, however, you will not. Instead, in France you will go to the Champs-Ély- sées or watch the opera.
If you go to Kenya, you will live in a rural village. You will go on a safari. You will even go to an orphanage, whereas in England, you will not. In- stead, in England, you will go to Westminster to see the Buckingham Palace.
Study abroad programs are supposed to denounce the stereotypes about the global world, not reinforce them. It’s appalling to integrate orphan- ages and animal watching in Kenya, but not in England. Africa should not be seen as an exotic location for impres- sionable college students to go take flicks of people living their lives so they can update their Facebook profile pic- tures. Instead of repeating the images of Africa, there should be a cosmopolitan as- pect shown because it does exist.
In sum, I think there needs to be a drastic evaluation of the Study Abroad programs at SLU. Countries that are not in Europe or Oceania should not have components that include orphanages or hospitals. If these changes do happen, SLU students will definitely experience something valuable.