The Evolution Of My National Identity Through Study Abroad

My national identity has evolved in stages through my study abroad experiences. I went from detached, to proud, to defensive and finally to seeing myself and my country as part of a global whole. I can only encourage others to study abroad too, so that everyone can experience the richness of being a global citizen.

Closed Minded World View (emaze.com)

Detached

As a child, I remember being taught about the history of Great Britain, and feeling very disconnected. What did I care who ruled in the 1600s, or why we have a monarchy, or who pulled the sword from the stone? What did I care if the stories I learned were even real? I didn’t have a sense of national identity at all, and the more I learned about my country’s murkier history, the less I cared about trying to identify with anything patriotic at all.

Proud

My first study abroad experience was when I was 14. As one of just three non-Americans on my program, and the only British person, I found myself being judged against the stereotype of a British person. I measured up pretty well in some areas: I knew the names of a lot of Kings and Queens, I was bitterly sarcastic, and I have one of the most stereotypical accents around. As I was asked dozens of questions about my home country, some in curiosity and others in ignorance, I suddenly discovered an intense sense of pride. In defending my nation to my new American friends, I found that I cared a lot more than I’d thought.

Defensive

When I spent a year studying in Oslo, Norway, I frequently had to defend my budding nationalism to my friends. I was trying to show only the positive sides of being British, hiding the darker parts of the past and present. I knew that this was a shallow understanding of my national identity, but I felt a desperate need to defend that overwhelmingly positive viewpoint despite my nagging reservations.

Part of a Whole 

Part of a Whole (pinterest.com)

I was almost 20 before I started to see Britain as a part of a whole, rather than a whole in itself. This shift in perspective happened for me when I joined Minerva Schools, an incredibly diverse university program where I made friends with people from dozens of countries. I found myself thinking of myself as a European for the first time, and then as a citizen of the world.

I woke up one morning identifying both with my own heritage and with my place in a global society. My nationalistic pride was replaced by a desire to share the great parts of my country with others, and to move on from the worst parts of my history.

Now, I get to have pride in my heritage and be outward looking at the same time. I finally started to see myself as a thread in a huge tapestry of cultures and individuals, and it’s been the best perspective shift of my life.