OCS & Diversity
Diversity matters vary among cultures. To prepare for your off-campus study experience, we recommend that you:
- Read fiction and non-fiction books and articles about your host country as well as articles specific to diversity in study abroad.
- Watch movies and documentaries produced in or about your host country.
- Talk to trusted friends, faculty members, and other campus resource people about your upcoming experience.
- Attend pre-departure workshops on diversity issues in off-campus study.
- Keep an open mind. Not all cultures view issues of identity and diversity in the same way. Be aware of how your own cultural lens influences the way you see your host culture and refrain from passing judgment on things before you have a good understanding of them.
Here are some general resources on diversity and off-campus study:
On campus
Off-Campus Studies
Dean of Students
Chaplain’s Office
Gender & Sexuality Center
Office of Intercultural Life
Online
Diversity Issues in Study Abroad
Compiles quotes and experiences regarding diversity issues in off-campus studies.
All Abroad
Provides resources for promoting diversity in study abroad.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Provides links to study abroad resources for students of color.
In print
OCS evaluations (past evaluations available in the OCS office)
Check out our individual pages on diversity issues for more specifics. OCS welcomes your feedback (nziegler@carleton.edu), and suggestions for additional resources or information to include on these pages.
Race & Ethnicity
Resources for understanding how race and ethnicity are perceived in your host country before you depart.Women
Ways to learn about a culture’s views on gender equality and appropriate behavior.LGBT Students
National and cultural groups have varied opinions about what is acceptable behavior for interactions between people. Knowledge is power.Religion
Resources for brushing up on how your religious views may be perceived - as well as those commonly held by people in your host country.