1. Decisions, Decisions…
A New Model for Black and White Student Study Abroad Decision-making
Mya Fisher, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Sociology
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
This study aims to understand:
 the similarities and differences in decision-making between study
abroad participants, non-participants and Black and White students.
 the relative import of factors that impact study abroad participation
pathways
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
The data for this project comes from 506 originally designed, online
questionnaires completed by students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
from 2009 – 2011; in addition to 35, one-on-one, in-depth, follow-up interviews
with survey respondents.
The online questionnaires included three open-ended questions:
What comes to mind when you hear the term study abroad?
 Do you think an international experience/study abroad is important for
UW- Madison students? Why or Why not?
 Do you intend to study abroad during your time at UW-Madison? Why or
why not?
I open-coded the responses using grounded theory analytical techniques. The
resulting codes were organized into concept trees that produced four categories
of participation ( – ) and the broad categories of relevance at three junctures
(A – C) in the decision-making process. A unique feature of the interview tasked
respondents to rank the categories of relevant factors and explain how they were
personally meaningful as they contemplated study abroad participation. Analyses
of data from these interviews reveal differences in relative importance and
orientation toward the categories of relevant factors.
Online Questionnaire Sample
Interview Sample
Personal
Background
Interest
Non-Interest
Intent
No Intent
 Non-interested,
non-participants
Race &
Ethnicity
# of
Respondents
# of
respondents Major
# of
Respondents
White 398 Female 275 School of Engineering 297
Black 39 Male 231 CALS 15
Latino 16 Total 506 Business 17
Native Am. 5 School of Education 16
Asian 25 Human Ecology 9
Other 23 College of Arts and Sciences 127
Total 506 School of Nursing 7
School of Pharmacy 1
Other 17
Total 506
 Interested,
Intenders
 Interested,
participants
 Interested,
non-participants
Fisher (2012) Model of Study Abroad Decision-Making
Academics (+, -)
Relationships (+, -)Finances (+, -)
Social Support (+, -)
The College
Experience (+, -)Campus/Community
Commitments (-)
Anxiety (-)
FINDINGS SUMMARY
 Different categories of factors impact study abroad
participation at three distinct junctures in the
decision-making process.
 These categories are shared by Black and White
students overall, yet their relative import and meaning
in decision-making varies.
 For example: Both Black and White students
indicate money is an issue for their decision-
making and that study abroad is expensive.
However, their explanations as to what constitutes
‘too expensive’ and how finances shape their
pursuit of study abroad vary along racial lines.
 DOES RACE STILL MATTER?
 Yes, but so does class. Black and White students
experience and navigate the university context
differently and their social networks (shaped by
SES) both negatively and positively impact study
abroad decisions.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
If we can understand processes and factors
impacting how students make decisions to participate
or not participate in study abroad, we can more
effectively and efficiently recruit, advise and support
our students.
FUTURE RESEARCH PLAN
This project represents original findings from data
collected as part of my dissertation research (to be
completed Aug. 2012). I am currently completing two
articles using this data: (1) introducing the Fisher
(2012) model for study abroad decision-making and
(2) discussing the relationship between perceptions
and how students engage with the idea of money in
their study abroad deliberations.
My next project involves geographically
mapping study abroad destinations using individual
level student demographic information to better
understand destination choice and trends in why
students go where they go when studying abroad.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This project would not have been possible with the support and assistance
of my writing group who provided constructive feedback during the data
collection, analysis, and writing stages of this long-term dissertation project. I’d
also like to thank the undergraduate UW-Madison students who gave their time to
complete the questionnaire and those who were willing to lend their voices to the
interview. I greatly appreciate my colleagues and the students at Beloit College for
inspiring critical questions during the analysis phase of this project.
B
A
C
Social Networks (+, -)
Educational Attainment (+,-)
Campus Integration (+,-)
Anxiety (-)
Academics (+, -)
Relationships (+, -)
Finances (+, -)
Social Support (+, -)
Anxiety (-)
The Import and Relevance of Money
WHITE BLACK
Study Abroad is
Too Expensive
“I've been interested in it but I never considered it an option, mainly 'cause I
just thought it was way too expensive. I always had this perception that this
is something that rich kids do. That was very much my perception of it for a
really long time that people from these rich families whose parents pay for
all their school.” – David, Male, interested, non-participant
“Just like how much it cost to study abroad, and I don’t know. Just kind of a little
worried about if it’s going to be too much. […] Yeah. I’m not too worried about it. It
wouldn’t prevent me from going, but I just want to keep that in mind and not totally
dismiss that, you know? ”– Frances, Female, Interested-intender
A Magic Number?
“It wasn’t a huge consideration […] my parents helped me with tuition so it
wasn’t a huge factor. I knew it was going to be either a little bit less or the
same and then I guess I knew it wasn’t going to be some extravagant cost,
like it wasn’t going to be thousands and thousands of dollars more. […] if it
was more expensive, I probably still would have gone. - Allison, Female,
interested-participant
“ I think anything that I have to spend over $10,000, that would be the breaking
point. I would try to stay away from loans as much as possible […] I took for applying
to college trying to get as many scholarships as possible stay away from loans. –
Dawn, Female, interested-intender
“Hey, a little $5000, if I have to go that far, for some study abroad, that’s ok.’ You
know what I’m saying? At the same time, I’d rather not have to pay, though, at the
same time.” – Elisha, Male, interested – intender
Access to financial
resources
“Yeah, I mean, I’m not going to lie, my parents pay for my tuition, so they
paid for it. [laughs] I paid for all the traveling and anything extra I did, not
like the academic portion [using] saved-up money, from working —since 11,
babysitting and real jobs and everything.” – Amanda, Female, interested,
participant
“[…] Well I'm white and middle-class so I consider myself fairly traditional.
The only difference is I don't get any help and never have from my parents
for school, so I've always had to do it myself. So in that way I don't, 'cause
I've always worked full-time.” – David, Male, interested- non-participant
“[Finances] didn’t really play a big role because my parents knew I always
wanted to go abroad and they were willing to pay for it. They’re paying for
me in college right now. So, had I even been getting financial aid, that would
have transferred there. So, pretty much, my parents were willing to pay for
it because they knew I wanted to go and they wanted me to travel and
they’re paying for college so they were paying for me abroad or at college.
Either way, they were paying.” – Bari, Female, interested-participant
“Well I guess since [during the] summer I don't usually have to pay for anything
[because] I’m home; so if it came more than like $10,000 it would be a no. I guess
more than $10,000 […] no. [Plus] my dad's really big on loans, no loans no loans.” –
Gleanza, Female, no interest - non-participant
“I mean, if I could find a loan for it—then I’d make it happen. […] loans wouldn’t
deter me from going.” – Elisha, Male, interested – intender
“Ultimately, I’ll tell someone you can take out the loan, somebody will pay them off
later, either you or a great job. But money is very important. Every time, I’ve gone
to China, I wondered will I have enough money?” – Alicia, Female, interested-
participant
Participation Classification Scheme
Interested, Intenders Study abroad is important, I intend to go abroad while at UW
Interested, Participants I have studied abroad
Interested, Non-participants
Study Abroad is important, Have not previously studied abroad Do
not intend to go study abroad
Non-interested, non-participants Study abroad is not important, I do not intend to participate
Participation Category Black White Other Minority
Interested, Intenders 7 3 1
Interested, Participants 4 8 1
Interested, Non-participants 1 3 0
Non-interested, non-participants 2 3 2
Total 14 17 4 35