Abstract
Discussion of the Erasmus experience for students continues with exploration of encounters within the host country. While this can be viewed from the perspective of culture shock, we also acknowledge that homogenisation of the student experience in Europe helps to create a ‘bubble’ atmosphere, surrounding the student visitor when he or she moves to a new country. This habitus is strengthened by the fact that social networking takes place mostly between international students, many of whom have limited contact with the locals, thus giving Erasmus mobility a geographical liminal quality. Using interview material from Erasmus students, we are able to illustrate the benefits of this arrangement and also what happens when some exchangees try to live outside the Erasmus bubble during their stays.
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- 1.
One study found that in regard to fellow Erasmus friends, around half of a group of student respondents had a network of between six and 20 people, with around a quarter between 21 and 50 fellow students while they may only get to know between one and five local students or other host nation inhabitants (Bauwens et al. 2008).
- 2.
This fact has also been explored in some psychological theories, which state that people who are in closer contact with one another and can acquire information about each other in a less costly manner interact more easily (Schutte and Light 1987).
- 3.
This practical arrangement also helps take Erasmus mobility out of the broader framework of intra-European migration , which would require a deeper involvement with local communities and customs. Therefore, there is less risk of later life migration to the host society taking place when one’s integration within the country is limited.
- 4.
That not all students are interested in ‘drinking events’ is another issue, although it is noticeably that Erasmus support organisations such as ESN receive patronage from drinks companies: for example, the Pernod Ricard conglomerate recently confirmed a partnership to raise awareness of binge drinking. See https://esn.org/news/esn-and-pernod-ricard-partnership-renewal
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Cairns, D., Krzaklewska, E., Cuzzocrea, V., Allaste, AA. (2018). Erasmus Conviviality. In: Mobility, Education and Employability in the European Union. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76926-4_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76926-4_6
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