Cultures of Mobility

The popularity of international work and education
opportunities is growing exponentially. The
occurrence of young adults who graduate from
university and head to a foreign country for work or
living experiences grows more and more common. They
acquire an international network of contacts and may
often spend several years in several different
countries before settling in one country or heading
home.
This is a group that is largely falling through
the cracks of cultural studies as the existing
threads of research fail to define it. In attempting
to do so here, this discussion goes beyond the claim
that globalization is changing cultures. It addresses
a particular aspect of globalization, that of
mobility, and exemplifies how it is changing some of
the traditional concepts of culture and identity,
such as with these "New Global Nomads".
Major themes revolve around existing "Third
Culture Kid" research, the rise and consequences of
mobility as an adult lifestyle choice, and to what
extent study abroad may be the link between them.

Autorentext
Sarah Steegar received her M.A. in Anthropology from Leuven Catholic University in Belgium (2005). She has published a number of works both academic and non-academic and consults on projects concerning mobility and/or international education.

Klappentext
The popularity of international work and education opportunities is growing exponentially. The occurrence of young adults who graduate from university and head to a foreign country for work or living experiences grows more and more common. They acquire an international network of contacts and may often spend several years in several different countries before settling in one country or heading home. This is a group that is largely falling through the cracks of cultural studies as the existing threads of research fail to define it. In attempting to do so here, this discussion goes beyond the claim that globalization is changing cultures. It addresses a particular aspect of globalization, that of mobility, and exemplifies how it is changing some of the traditional concepts of culture and identity, such as with these "New Global Nomads". Major themes revolve around existing "Third Culture Kid" research, the rise and consequences of mobility as an adult lifestyle choice, and to what extent study abroad may be the link between them.