The Spiritual Journey of the Student Exchange Program
This study aims to add to the discussion on “tourism as a secular pilgrimage” by understanding how student exchange programs constitute a spiritual experience to its participants, and in doing so, uncover how gendered interactions in tourism may affect the experience of spirituality. Using the co...
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| Format: | Final Year Project |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70056 |
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| Institution: | Nanyang Technological University |
| Language: | English |
| Summary: | This study aims to add to the discussion on “tourism as a secular pilgrimage” by understanding how
student exchange programs constitute a spiritual experience to its participants, and in doing so,
uncover how gendered interactions in tourism may affect the experience of spirituality. Using the
conceptual framework of the “spirituality of the journey”, I adopt a phenomenological approach
towards examining the personal and subjective experience of spirituality of 16 undergraduates who
have completed an exchange program. The results suggest that student exchange programs provide
the time and space that facilitates the search for personal meaning; and allows for experiences of
transcendence and interconnectedness. In addition, the perception of female vulnerability and
heightened sense of danger promotes personal development and empowerment among female
participants. This study extends existing literature by demonstrating how the touristic journey itself,
regardless of motive or destination, may represent a spiritual experience for the participant. |
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