Impacts of an American anthropology field school on the host communities in Barbados

Abstract

Although a significant amount of research has been done recently on the effects studying abroad has on students, very little research has examined the effects students and terms abroad programs have on host families and communities. To help address this gap in the literature, this thesis examines the impact American students in an anthropology field school in Barbados have on the families and communities they live among. This field school in question has been running since 1983 and has enrolled 68 students. Every other year approximately ten students participate. During their eleven week stay, students live with families in the northern part of the island, each student in a different village. The students spend the majority of their time interacting with their host families and members of the community while learning about the specific village they live in and Barbadian culture in general.