Jaunted

IHE puts forth the idea that women go abroad during college because they want to hurry up and make babies. They quote a study-abroad associate director as saying that women "can't imagine being able to travel abroad and also be a mom. So if they're going to have an overseas experience, they're going to do it before they become mothers."

While women are trying to hurry up and procreate, men are all about the FUN parts of study abroad--like drinking and sports! Inside Higher Ed leads its coverage of the study with this priceless comment from a supposedly real study abroad director from Austin College about promoting study abroad for men:

Of course, if you're a guy who doesn't do languages, Australia and New Zealand are attractive and you can do guy things like kayaking and bungee jumping and so forth, pub crawling.

How smooth and subtle, Truett Cates! This reading does as much disservice to men--many of whom have better reasons for studying abroad than boozing it up and having some totally rad nights out--as women.

Then Gadling goes on to suggest that women study abroad more because they're dumb with money:

Study abroad can be expensive, and men are often, shall we say, "more frugal" than women.

Silly girls, spending their money on experiences they'll remember forever! My trips abroad have been priceless, and I'm sure men and women out there would say the same. Besides, the declining dollar affects travelers equally, does it not?

Now that I've alienated you all, here are my suggestions for why women study abroad more than men do:

1. Our superior communication skills make us less apprehensive about adapting to new places. Even though those "Women use twice as many words per day!" studies have been debunked, good interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence help any traveler adjust to the social norms of a new culture. And women consistently score higher on tests of relationship management and social awareness.

2. To spin the "ticking clock" argument in a positive way, we're multitasking. Back in my college days, the biggest excuse I heard from my friends on why they didn't study abroad was that they couldn't find a way to manage major requirements, on-campus responsibilities and time away. Perhaps female students are more apt to grasp the possibilities that accompany the complications of enrolling in a study abroad program and see that opportunity as a way to "do it all" in college. I exploited my six months abroad to the hilt in all areas and still graduated on time.

3. Because we can. Maybe it doesn't come up on most applications, but the weight of history is a factor here. For so long women were discouraged from traveling alone anywhere, let alone to a foreign country where they might be exposed to less than ideal conditions or lecherous men. It was unthinkable for my grandmother, who got a journalism degree but married immediately after graduation; travel-wise, she's making up for it now, but there's no reason to wait that long. Our freedom to go to places like Egypt or Madagascar or Chile (to name a few) without a chaperon was hard won, so why should we give it up easily?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not in favor of the imbalance; the opportunity to study abroad should be available to everyone. But must we be blamed for that ratio, too? The onus is on overseas study providers and college deans to encourage more men to take advantage of these incredible opportunities, not to dissuade women at the same time.

Related Stories:
· Why Do Women Study Abroad Twice As Much As Men? [Gadling]
· Women Abroad and Men At Home [Inside Higher Ed]

[Photo of a Massachusetts HS trip to Greece, not mentioned in the article: nmhphotos]