814.1
Self-Transformation Of Russian Youth Through Work and Travel Program In The USA
Dennis Zuev
CIES-ISCTE, Portugal
In this study I wish to examine the mechanisms of personal transformation among Russian youth through the contact with America as an imaginary and real-life entity in the course of the program “Work and Travel”. I delineate several families of transformation: relational transformations, physical transfiguration and attitudinal transformations. I argue that the transformations that occur with individuals during the contact with another culture or as an consequence of the trip are part of the (de)civilizing process of the individual. One of the practical questions behind the study is whether after being a guest in the other culture young people become positive towards others being guests in their home culture.
Some of the effects of the trip have civilizing effect in the sense that they touch the structures of habitus and modes of knowledge. Through lived-in experience young people transit to the stage or reevaluation of their distance with parents and intimate partners. One of the important configurational changes is the reevaluation of the relationship with parents who initially serve the primary instance in regulating the trip (through financial and emotional support).
The physical changes in perception of one's body and emotional management are reflected with ambiguous reaction: the body reaction to the contact with the fast-food culture resulting in weight gain increases refutation of American civilization, however the behavioural patterns of everyday communication can be adopted and attempted to be transplanted in home culture. One of the leading emotional changes concern the feeling of embarrassment for the behavior practiced or observed before the trip and after the trip: accepting money from parents became embarrassing for some respondents and seeing people behaving rude towards them was also considered embarassing.