Consuming the Image of Study Abroad: Exploring U.S. Study Abroad Rationale in the Twentieth Century

This article places the historical events that have influenced the rationale of study abroad programming in U.S. higher education, throughout the twentieth century, within the framework of Baudrillard’s theory of hyper-reality. The intent of this paper is not to repeat Hoffa’s (2007) and Hoffa and DePaul’s (2010) comprehensive two-volume history of study abroad published by the Forum on Education Abroad. Instead, it sheds light on the underlying rationale that led to both the growth and misconceptions of the benefits of study abroad programming throughout the twentieth century. Drawing on Baudrillard’s concept of simulacra, which posits that representations can become more significant than reality itself, this paper argues that the U.S. approach to study abroad has increasingly operated as a symbolic construct divorced from its original utility. Ultimately, the article challenges higher education leaders and policymakers to critically examine whether contemporary practices are fulfilling their stated goals or perpetuating a hyperreal image untethered from educational reality.