The A.M.I.G.O. project: A multicultural intergroup opportunity

Inremoriond fourno/ o/lnrrrrulrural R~lorions. Vol. 9. pp. 151-175. 1985 Printed in the USA. All rights reserved.

THE A.M.I.G.O.

0147-1767185 53.00 + .OO Copyright Q 1985 Pcrgmon Press Ltd.

PROJECT:

A Multicultural InterGroup Opportunity

CYNTHIA

STOHL

Department of Communication Purdue University ABSTRACT This paper describes an empirical investigation of changes incurred as a result ofparticipation in a semester-long intercultural experience. “The A. k4.1.G.O. Project “is conducted in smallgroup cornmuniration classes and requires students to meet and interact weekly with foreigners living in their community. The project is designed to allow college students to obtain some of the benejirs of a foreign experience without going abroad. The program is also intended to provide a meaningfiil and worthwhile experience to individuals temporarily living in the U.S. A single-factor repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine dtfferences between participants and non-participants at the beginning and end of the semester. Five dependent variables-acceptance of dtfferences, openness to new ideas, importance offoreign exchange, responsibility towardforeigners living in the community, and attitudes towardpeace-were evaluated. The results of the questionnaire strongly indicate a significant change in the attitudes of the participants. Overall, students became more accepting of diversity and differences, felt greater responsibility to and increased importance of foreign visitors to the United States, and developed a sense of importance and desirefor travel abroad. Furthermore, the members of the English as a Second Language class [the Amigos] demonstrated significantly greater improvement on their English proficiency exams than non-participants. Implications of the results and a discussion of the limitations of the study conclude with suggestions for future research.

Increased emphasis on the importance of intercultural communication and global education is indicative of our recognition that the world is getting smaller and more interconnected. Contemporary experiences suggest that the familiar image of the “melting pot,” creating smoothed and similarly shaped and shaded citizens, is no longer appropriate. A more apt metaphor for our global community is a kaleidoscope-a small enclosed cylinder containing contiguous, yet interdependent and unique, multi-colored crystal. Dealing competently with others who are unlike ourselves is no longer the Requests for reprints should be sent to Cynthia Stohl, Department University, 304 Heavilon Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907.

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privilege of the few, but a requirement for many. Successful intercultural communication has become necessary for survival (Nwanko, 1979). The rationale behind those supporting greater efforts for international education go beyond survival, however. A taxonomy developed by McKeown (1975) indicates that arguments range from those based on (a) national orientations such as avoiding national injury or promoting a national image; (b) personal orientations, including the development of self-awareness and gaining self-fulfillment; and (c) international-interhuman orientations in which the arguments include the prevention of international conflict and the attainment of international justice. From each of these perspectives, international exchange programs have been developed and supported. Although there are still relatively few investigations of the actual effects of these programs (President’s Commission, 1979), the empirical evidence is encouraging. Overall, the results suggest that many of the goals of these programs are being met. For example, research investigating attitudinal changes in American students going abroad indicates that when compared to those who stay at home, exchange students develop greater acceptance of people unlike themselves (Bostwick, Childers, Fredland, Rimbaugh, & Wood, 1982) feel greater responsibility for the world situation (Brislin, 1980), are less ethnocentric (Kelman, 1965) and are also less willing to differentiate people or responsibility on the basis of culture (Bostwick et al., 1982, Theye, 1982). Furthermore, foreign exchange students have been shown to develop a more complex and differentiated view of the host country (Thomas, 1980) leading to less stereotyped impressions than they had before (Brislin, 1980, Kagitcisibasi, 1980). But what about the students who stay at home? The control groups for the studies cited above, that is, the groups that do not have self-concepts and global perspectives that are as positive as those who have travelled, who lack increased tolerance for divergent points of view, and have less involvement or interest in world peace issues, are representative of most United States college students. For reasons of money, interest, opportunity, or time, only a very small percentage of college students become involved in international exchange programs. Most college students, therefore, are denied the opportunity to reap the benefits that international travel provides and may complete college without the recognition that there is an outside world. These students thereby often unwittingly cut themselves off from the flow of information about others and their needs, and, hence, diminish their capacity to develop a sense of the global community (Alger, 1980). Overall, the critical issues in international education programs are not being addressed for a substantial proportion of the college population. It is with these concerns in mind that I began the A.M.I.G.O. Project-A Multicultural InterGroup Opportunity. This program is designed to allow students to obtain some of the benefits of a foreign experience without needing to go abroad. At the same time, the program is designed to provide a

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meaningful and worthwhile experience to those members of our community who are temporarily living in this country and are often isolated from our culture. Past studies suggest that the adjustment and communicative competence of foreigners living in American communities correlates highly with the number and intensity of social contacts made by the foreigners with Americans (Mishler, 1965). Communication is the underlying process by which an individual and the host sociocultural system interact (Kim, 1979) and the A.M.I.G.O. Project is designed to increase the size and diversity of foreigners’ communication/ social networks. This article is in three parts. Part one describes the A.M.I.G.O. Project, the second section explains the study designed to evaluate possible changes which may have occurred, and the third part discusses and interprets the findings. Suggestions for future research based on the limitations of the present study are presented.

THE A.M.I.G.O.

PROJECT

What Is It? The A.M.I.G.O. Project began 2 years ago at a large midwestern university. The students involved in the project are all enrolled in a multisection undergraduate small-group communication course. The students have no prior knowledge of the A.M.I.G.O. Project and assume the requirements for their section will be the same as they are for all other sections. These basic requirements include a small group project. Students are required to work in small groups chosen within the class, identify a problem they are interested in (e.g., traffic problems on campus), decide upon a solution, implement the solution, and evaluate both the project and the success of the implementation. The students, a random sample of undergraduates, range from sophomores to seniors. At the beginning of the semester, students in the A.M.I.G.O. sections are told that their group projects will be somewhat different from those of other classes. Rather than choosing their own topic, they will be dealing with issues relating to foreigners (henceforth called Amigos) living in their community. The purpose of the semester-long project is to identify a problem that is common to a specific set of Amigos, design and implement a solution to this problem, and evaluate the success of the project. Thus, there are two distinct, but interrelated, parts to this task. First, each student is required to meet individually with his or her Amigo on a regular basis (once a week) and second, each student is part of a small group which has the responsibility for deciding upon the criteria to be used to identify and choose the problem, designing a project that addresses the problem, implementing the solution, and evaluating it.

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After the first week of class, each student in the class receives the name and phone number (or address) of an individual who is interested in meeting Americans and has volunteered to meet weekly with an American student. The Amigos are all taking English as a Second Language course (ESL) near the university. English proficiency is low. There are representatives from many countries, particularly those of Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. The reasons for the Amigos being in the community are variedsome are spouses of graduate or postdoctoral students, some are the children of visiting faculty (none are under 18 years of age), and a few are parents of undergraduate students. None of the Amigos are enrolled in the university, although for a few this is their ultimate goal and purpose for taking the ESL course. Volunteers are obtained by going to the ESL classes and explaining the program. The idea meets with great enthusiasm. Each semester we have more volunteers than students. Amigos are chosen randomly by the instructor. After the American students receive the names of their Amigos, they are told to contact them first by phone (or go to the ESL class), introduce themselves, and set up a meeting. The students are required to meet with their Amigos on a weekly basis for at least 30 minutes at a time. Both the ESL instructors and I check that the meetings are taking place, and help to deal with any unforseen problems. During the initial weeks when the students and Amigos are first getting to know one another, class discussions and readings are focused upon intercultural communication as well as group decision-making. After 4 weeks, the students choose which class members they want to work with and these newly formed groups begin meeting with the long-term goal of deciding upon and implementing their project. From this point on, students meet individually with their Amigos, as well as with the members of their small group. Occasionally, meetings are held which include both students and Amigos. Besides helping to develop a more global perspective, a fundamental purpose of this course is to teach “rational” processes. Effective decisions by small groups are believed to be associated with effective decision-making. Therefore, lectures and readings are given on the limits of rationality, as well as how to evaluate and weigh evidence, recognize faulty arguments, evaluate data, and eliminate the “defects in thinking” associated with “groupthink” (Janis, 1972). Shiedel and Crowell’s Problem Management Sequence (1979) is used as a model for vigilant decision-making, By midterm, the groups have to decide upon a problem that is representative of their Amigos’ positions, decide upon an approach to the problem, and provide relevant criteria to decide whether the intervention was successful. This last step forces groups to grapple with specific problems rather than global issues such as “prejudice” against the Amigos. Within 3 weeks after the midterm, the proposed solution is implemented. Within 2 more weeks, the evaluation of the project is undertaken. During the

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last week of class, each group reports about their project to the class. Three sets of journals are collected during the semester. These journals describe, evaluate, and analyze the group interaction and decision-making processes. Class readings, lectures, and discussions provide the basis for the analyses. The last day of class is designated as Amigo Day. Each student brings his or her friend to class. There are various types of projects undertaken by the small groups. One group spent an entire day with their Amigos teaching them how to use the bus system in the community. The group had discovered that none of their Amigos could drive cars and each reported they felt completely isolated and helpless during the day when their families were at school. The students took their Amigos by bus to the downtown terminal, teaching them how to use the system as they went along. They transferred buses, went to a shopping mall, and spent time looking around. The students explained how to read price tags and answered Amigos’questions. They returned home via bus. The follow-up to evaluate whether the group was successful in meeting their minimal goal, i.e., providing the Amigos with some independence and access to the community at large, was enacted 3 weeks after the bus trip. Each Amigo was told that if he or she could make it by bus, on their own, to the downtown bus terminal by 12 o’clock Saturday afternoon, there would be a surprise. By 12 that Saturday, all the Amigos had shown up and the students took them to lunch at a local”old-time”restaurant. The students were quite pleased with the results of their project and suggested that the “best measure of our success was the look of pride on our Amigos’ faces when they made it on time by themselves.” Another project involved both students and Amigos attending a 4-week Red Cross course together. This group discovered that although all of the group members and their Amigos regularly cared for young children in differing contexts, none had any first-aid training. The course was reported to be extremely worthwhile from a content and communicative perspective. The first-aid course demands a great deal of interaction. One student wrote, “Learning how to tie the tourniquets on each other also was interesting and quite amusing. At one time we all pitched in giving advice to one [member] of the group on how to do it properly. We all really learned a lot from the course and from each other. We were so proud when we all passed the final exam on the last evening.” Another project included producing a packet, complete with community information the Amigos did not have, and coupons to various restaurants, which the Amigos had never used before. This group went to one of the restaurants and used the coupons. They reported their Amigos “were truly amazed at this type of paper money.”

What Can We Expect From Such a Program? This project is undertaken in a communication class, and, hence, the underlying assumptions are based upon the importance of communication.

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Any changes that we do find from this program are believed to be a direct result of the communication between and among the Amigos and the American students. Intercultural communication minimally requires an understanding that (a) there are other perspectives, and (b) there is a need to adapt to a listener’s perspective. It is assumed, therefore, that to the extent that the students communicate with others of various cultures they will begin to recognize and accept the presence of other perspectives. Second, to the extent that they find out about life in other countries, they will begin to see our own practices in a different light. The group meetings increase the likelihood of these two outcomes occurring. In the early meetings, group members must represent their Amigo’s perspective, as well as their own, to the other group members. Thus, not only are the students forced to take the role of the Amigos, but they are also learning about the experiences and perspectives of many nationalities through the interaction with their own group members. Furthermore, as the group develops and the Amigos are included in the group, it is more likely they will develop a group identity which will enhance perceptions of attraction and similarity (Shaw, 1981). Research findings in small-group dynamics suggest that the development of cohesion within the group will enhance the likelihood of positive attitude changes. Cohesive groups tend to communicate to a greater extent with one another, exert greater influence over their members, and are generally more satisfied and effective in reaching goals (Shaw, 1981). As the Amigos become part of the “we” and not the “they,” stereotypic attitudes and behaviors are more likely to disappear. Positive attitude changes in intercultural settings are also facilitated by interaction that includes the sharing of personal concerns and goals for the future (Brislin, 1980). Brislin suggests that “intimate contact’* of this nature breaks down the undifferentiated mass called “them” and highlights similarities amongst people. The structure of the A.M.I.G.O. Project maximizes the potential for this type of intercultural communication to take place. Finally, because the project forces the students to analyze others’ problems in their own community and decide upon solutions themselves, the group focus moves from thinking of “their” problems to thinking of “our” problems, i.e., the locus of control becomes internal rather than external. Thus, the following changes were expected in those students participating in the A.M.I.G.G. Project compared to those who did not: 1. A greater acceptance of differences amongst foreigners in the community, i.e., a greater tolerance for divergent behaviors and beliefs. 2. A greater awareness and recognition of the possibility that more than one solution can be found to be a variety of problems. 3. An increased desire for, and understanding of, the need for and advantages of exchange programs both to and from the United States.

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4. An increased

sense of responsibility of the U.S. to visitors to this country, i.e., students may begin to feel a greater linkage to and responsibility for their environment. Furthermore, although experience of this sort should not necessarily change a student’s political beliefs, it seems possible that there would be a greater belief in the desirability of international communication and peace.

The changes are consistent with some of those reported in Brislin’s review of the effects of intercultural exchanges (1980) the goals of many international exchange programs (Bostwick et al., 1982), and brochures advertising the advantages of a junior year abroad. The next section describes the study undertaken to assess systematically whether participation in the A.M.I.G.O. Project did result in specific attitudinal and behavioral changes. THE

STUDY

Procedures Three groups of students were given a modified version of the Opinion Questionnaire developed by Bostwick et al. (1982). One group (n = 22) included all small-group communication students involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project, and two groups (n = 13, n = 14) included students from communication classes not involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project. The questionnaires were completed twice-within I week of the beginning and the end of the fall semester, respectively. A complete description of the measure is presented below. The results obtained from the questionnaires are used to compare student attitudes before and after the A.M.I.G.O. experience as well as to compare and contrast the attitudes of program participants and non-participants. Qualitative assessment of changes incurred from participation in the A.M.I.G.O. Project is derived from the students’ own accounts. Three times during the semester, student journals were collected from individuals in the program. The journals include an analysis and evaluation of the group interaction and decision-making process. The last journal included students’ impressions and evaluations of the project, an analysis of how they changed and what they learned from involvement in the program, the perceived effect the project had on their Amigos, and the importance of the project for both themselves and their Amigos. Students also critiqued the project and presented suggestions for improvement. English proficiency exams were given by the English as a Second Language staff to all students enrolled in their program. These scores are used to compare the improvement of the ESL students involved in this project (the Amigos) with the ESL students who did not participate. Nonstructured interviews were conducted with each Amigo.

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Measures The Opinion Questionnaire adapted for this study was originally developed by Bostwick et al. (1982) to evaluate and compare attitudes among participants and non-participants in the Rotary International Exchange. This questionnaire was chosen for two reasons. First, the questionnaire was developed specifically to compare attitudes of participants in an intercultural exchange program with attitudes of a matched sample of non-participants, and thus had been tested extensively on a similar sample. Second, and more important, the rationale underlying the Rotary exchange program includes arguments from all three rationales discussed earlier (McKeown, 1975), and, thereby, many areas of possible change are assessed. For example, although the overall objective of the Rotary program is to promote “international goodwill’* and “international understanding,” the Midwest Region of the Rotary Club identified specific goals dealing with national and personal, as well as international, concerns that were used as a basis for developing questionnaire items. These concerns are quite similar to the areas in which changes are expected from participation in the A.M.I.G.O. Project. The Rotary objectives reported by Bostwick et al. (1982) include: 1. Developing a core of individuals who have an appreciation of foreign differences and similarities and can represent this understanding to other members of the community; 2. Developing a stronger foundation for the process of attaining international peace; 3. Broadening the students’ educational experience, including exposure to new ideas and ways of doing things in many fields of interest such as the educational process, social environments, political systems, etc.; 4. Providing an unforgettable opportunity for a young person to mature and develop self-understanding; 5. Developing a person’s interest and proficiency in a foreign language; and 6. Enrolling young people to develop lasting friendships around the world. Based on these objectives, the questionnaire was designed to measure attitudes and beliefs in four areas: (a) understanding and acceptance of foreign differences and similarities, (b) belief in the desirability for international peace, (c) openness to new ideas and ways of doing things, and (d) maturation and enhanced self-awareness, which includes a belief in the importance of international exchange. The questionnaire was adapted by adding items designed to measure respondents’ attitudes about the importance of, and responsibility to foreigners living in this country. The first four categories were identical to those used in the Bostwick et al. (1982) study. Open-ended questions were also designed to measure the number of foreign friendships of students, the students’information regarding foreigners

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in the community, the desire to go abroad, and other related information. Appendix A includes the adapted version of the Opinion Questionnaire. The journals of the students involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project provided information regarding students’ own perceptions of their attitudinal and behavioral changes throughout the semester. Analyses Cronbach’s alpha (Cronbach, 1951) was used to assess the reliability of the questionnaire. A single-factor repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine differences in responses to questionnaire items for both participants and non-participants at the beginning and end of the semester. Item responses were summed to create five dependent variables-one for each of the five content areas: acceptance, openness, peace, importance of foreign exchange, and responsibility. T-tests were performed for both non-participant groups for each item on the questionnaire. Because no significant differences were found between these classes for any item at either the beginning or end of the semester, the scores were combined, creating one non-participant group. An improvement score was derived for each member of the ESL class by subtracting the score on the English proficiency exam taken at the beginning of the year from his or her final score on the proficiency exam taken at the end of the semester. A f-test was performed using this improvement score to compare Amigos with those members of the ESL class who did not participate in the program. Results The reliability, determined by Cronbach’s alpha, of the 38-item questionnaire is .91. The mean dependent scores for participants and non-participants across the five content areas at Time 1 and Time 2 are graphed in Figure 1. Table 1 presents the mean scores for each item for both groups. There are no significant differences between classes at the beginning of the semester (Time I). There are significant interaction effects (class X time) for acceptance (F= 4.96, df = 1.10, p < .05), responsibility (F = 7.40, df = 1.10, p < .02), and a trend (F = 4.76, df = 1.10, p < .07) for the importance of foreign exchange. A significant class X time interaction effect suggests that the change in attitude occurred for at least one specific set of students at a particular time. An analysis of simple main effects indicates that for attitude, responsibility, and importance of foreign exchange, only those students involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project changed their attitudes between the first and second administration of the questionnaire. There was also a significant time effect for peace (F = 8.10, df = 1.10, p < .Ol), suggesting that across the semester both groups of students became more concerned with international peace

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C)whiu

Srohl

21

15

1

I

I

I I

1

Time

Time

1

Time

2

ACCEPTANCE

Time

2

PEACE

21

23

20 19

22 21

18

20 19

17 16 (5

//O

18 17

Time

1

Time

2

Time

OPEN

1

Tune

2

EXCHANGE

33 32 z; 29

/’

*

%

___--

Partlclpants

-

Non-Parllclpann

I

Time

1

Twne

2

RESWNSIWLITY

FIGURE 1. Moan &ores End of the Semester.

for Partlclprnts

and Non-Partlclpants

at the Beginning and

issues. There was no significant change in students’ openness toward new ideas. This surprising result will be discussed below. Students involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project also reported significantly more foreign friends at the end of the semester than they did at the beginning or compared to non-participants at both Time 1 and Time 2. What is most interesting about this change is that the increase in friends was greater than would be expected-i.e., an increase of one, the Amigo. This suggests that experience with one foreign individual not only increased the social networks of the American student and the Amigo by one but began to create a new web of affiliations. There were also significantly more students amongst the Amigo participants who expressed a desire to go abroad at the end of the semester (X2 = 6.72, df= 1, p < .Ol).

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TABLE 1 Mean Scores for Each item on the Opinion Ouestlonnalre Non-ParticiDants

(E) (A) (R) (El (P) (0) (W

Time1

Time2

1 2

3.2 3.2

3.1 3.1

3 4

2.6 3.7 2.5 2.0

3.3 3.3 2.8 3.7 2.9 2.2 2.1

3.6 3.7 2.4

3.2 2.7 4.1 3.6 2.7

3.1 2.3 3.4 3.7

5 6 7 8 9

P)

10 11 12

w (P) (W (PI (PI (A) (4 (4 P) (A) (0) P) (V (0) (D) (4 (0) (0) (El (4 (0) 03 (W (El (RI (A) (RI (W E A R P 0

Time2

w

w

= = = = =

Participants

Time1

Item

I’)

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 36

Exchange Acceptance Responsibility Peace Openness

1.9 3.2 2.6 3.6 3.5 2.7 3.3 2.6 2.1 2.9 2.2 2.6 3.9 2.3 2.3 2.7 3.2 2.9 2.2 3.9 3.5 3.1 3.0 3.4 3.9 3.0 2.6 2.6 3.0 4.2 2.6 3.4

3.3 2.5 2.1 3.5 2.3 2.5 3.6 2.6 2.3 2.6 3.3 2.9 2.6 3.7 3.6 2.7 3.0 3.2 4.0 3.1 2.7 2.8 3.0 4.2 3.0 3.0

3.0 4.0 2.8 2.5 2.1

2.8 3.7 2.9 2.3 3.1 2.3 2.8 3.6 2.3 2.2 2.8 3.1 3.1 2.4 3.9 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.2 4.0 2.8 2.7 2.9 3.0 4.1 3.1 3.2

4.0 2.6 2.8 1.8 3.7 2.9 3.9 3.6 2.4 2.6 2.4 2.4 3.1 2.3 2.8 3.8 2.3 2.5 3.0 3.8 3.1 2.0 4.5 3.6 3.2 3.1 4.1 4.1 2.4 2.5 2.6 3.3 4.5 3.8 3.1

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There is a significant difference in the improvement of the ESL students on the English proficiency exam (t = 1.83, df = 35, p < .05). Students involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project showed greater improvement than those who were not involved.

DISCUSSION The results strongly indicate there was a significant change in the attitudes of students who participated in the A.M.I.G.O. Project. Overall, the students became more accepting of diversity and differences, felt greater responsibility to, and increased importance of, foreign visitors in the United States, and developed a sense of importance and desire for travel abroad. To further understand and explicate the changes that occurred, the following section examines each cluster of items separately, including evidence from the students’own papers. At the end ofthis section the implications and limitations of this study are discussed, and suggestions for future research are offered. Acceptance

of Differences

As expected, students in the A.M.I.G.O. Project were found to be more tolerant and accepting of diversity at the end of the semester than they were at the beginning. Item 26 (“We can learn many important things about our own country by communicating with foreigners who live here.“) and item 36 (“Spending time with people unlike ourselves is a worthwhile experience.“) absorbed the greatest change. It is important to note, however, that the changes found are often of degree rather than position. For example, although 45.5% of the participants strongly agreed with item 26 and only 11% of the non-participants did, 63% of the non-participants at least somewhat agreed with the statements, compared to a total of 95% for participants. The results clearly suggest that the participants in the A. M.I.G.O. Project realize other perspectives may be legitimate and certainly worth knowing about. Foreigners are not discounted because their opinions are different. Ninety-five percent of the students mentioned learning that their own perspectives were somewhat narrow as one of the three most important things they gained from the experience. One student wrote: “I always assumed the way the U.S. said it was, it was. Now I realize that other people may have a different, and also correct, view of things. It all depends on where you are.” Another wrote, “I became more tolerant of my Amigo’s ideas about this country and the world. I even found I was more tolerant with other group members who didn’t always agree with me.” Furthermore, students in the A.M.I.G.O. Project reported finding cultural differences enjoyable rather than upsetting. Continual amazement at the variety of foods they were offered, ate, and even enjoyed, attest to the

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growing acceptance these students developed. One student who had never before eaten anything except standard American fare wrote, “After going to my Amigo’s house for dinner for the third time, I knew I was changed. Although this may seem trivial, 1 had never before eaten Chinese food, had dreaded the meals, and now I discovered I actually liked it. I have already gone with friends to the Chinese restaurant here, and at Christmas time I intend to introduce my boyfriend to it.”

Importance of Exchange Although Bostwick et al. (1982) argue that these items indirectly provide evidence of maturation and acceptance of oneself because they are based on the importance for the individual of becoming involved in international exchange, the students in the A.M.I.G.O. Project did not go abroad, and so such a conclusion is unwarranted. Rather, these items straightforwardly examine how attitudes toward international exchange are changed as a result of the experience. Item 1 (“I would recommend to relatives of school age that they spend one of their school years as an exchange student.“) and item 32 (“Exchange programs are a great experience but are not really important to one’s basic education.“) indicate that once students became involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project they began to see advantages for themselves that could be gained from this experience. Indeed, 60% of the participants strongly disagreed with item 36 whereas only 35% of the non-participants did. Not only did significantly more students want to go abroad after the A.M.I.G.O. Project, 40% wrote in their papers that they weregoing to inquire about spending their junior year abroad. A follow-up with these students will be conducted to see if any of them have enrolled or at least inquired into the possibility. Ninety-eight percent of the students expressed a desire “to go abroad to be broadened.” A few students had already made plans to go home with their Amigo for a vacation. One semester, a student and her Amigo came to class on Amigo Day with joint plane tickets in hand. What better evidence for the development of international friendship could there be?

Responsibility

Towards Foreigners Living in the Community

The results strongly indicate that students develop a greater sense of responsibility and caring for foreign visitors to our country as a result of the A.M.I.G.O. Project. It may be argued that this is simply the result of recognizing that these people are part of our community, or partly an experimental artifact forced upon the students as a requirement for the course. The communication between the students and the Amigos, however, does more than simply raise the students’ level of consciousness. Participants disagree strongly with the belief that competence in a foreign language is essential in understanding people of other nations (item 2) the

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same conclusion Bostwick et al. (1982) report for the exchange individuals. The A.M.I.G.O. participants also strongly believe that the U.S. does not provide enough services for foreigners. Furthermore, participants report that it is the responsibility of each of us to help foreigners adjust to and enjoy living in this country. These findings are quite positive in terms of the potential effects a program such as this may also have for visitors to our community. As Kim (1979) clearly points out, new members of the cultural system are faced with continual frustrations. Frequently, the most powerful source of frustration is least conspicuous and least discussed, i.e., the cultural pattern of the approached group is to the stranger not a shelter but a field of adventure, not a matter of course but a questionable topic of investigation, not an instrument for disentangling problematic situations but a problematic situation itself, and one hard to master. (p. 438) If, as Kim suggests, the key to successful acculturation is in the hands of the host society, this increased sense of responsibility will provide more hands to help. Not only does the A.M.I.G.O. Project increase the immediate social network of the Amigo and thereby provide the new and necessary experiences needed to have a positive experience in the United States (Mishler, 1965), but it also suggests the possibility that these students will be more open to meeting, communicating, and helping others. One student writes, “Now that I’ve managed to get to know my Amigo, I am looking forward to befriending more foreign visitors. I think I gained as much as he did, and I’m going to go out of my way to make more foreign friends.” Another wrote, “I thought this would never work, the first phone call terrified me, but I came to find out that just because you don’t speak the same language doesn’t mean you don’t have ways of communicating.” As discussed above, the increased number of foreigners the participants were friendly with increased by 3.2 people by the end of the semester (no increase for non-participants). Many Amigos reported that the interactions between the American students and their own families was a major benefit of involvement in the program. Two spouses of the Amigos even participated in the final project. Clearly, within this very short time, the A.M.I.G.O. effect has gone beyond those actually participating. Furthermore, these interactions met the criteria for favorable conditions found to increase the likelihood of positive intercultural communication (Amir, 1969). These include: (a) when the contact is of an intimate, rather than a casual, nature; (b) when an “authority and/or social climate are/is in favor of, and promote, intergroup contact;” (c) when the ethnic intergroup contact is pleasant and rewarding; and (d) when the members of both groups interact in functionally important activities.

A. M.I. G. 0. Project

Attitudes

I65

Toward Peace

The results for this section are quite interesting. There is a significant time effect suggesting that across the semester both classes became more concerned with international peace issues. By examining particular items it becomes evident that the mean change occurred as a result of the strong positive change in item 10, “International goodwill is essential to the welfare of the United States.” It is important to note that at the time of this study the media were filled with Reagan’s hardline rhetoric, Andropov had just taken over the reins of the Soviet Union, and the Lebanese massacre was frontpage news. Given these environmental happenings, it is not surprising that American college students in general voiced more concern with international peace issues. Two items, item 8-“The United States should try to be on friendly terms with other countries who are unfriendly to us,” and item 9-“I believe that the United States should send food and materials even to unfriendly nations if they need it,” did have a significant class-by-time interaction and indicate the type of attitudinal change that may come from experiences such as those in the A.M.I.G.O. Project. Prior to the A.M.I.G.O. experience, no student in any class strongly agreed with items 8 or 9. At the end of the semester, 9% of the participants strongly agreed with item 8 (59% agreed) and 41% strongly agreed with question 9 (an additional 22% agreed). There was only 22% and 19% agreement for non-participants at the end of the semester (0% strongly agreed). Change on these items seems to represent the development of a more complex view of world affairs-individuals in unfriendly countries are humanized, they are not the stereotypical enemy who deserves nothing. It is important to note in this regard that many of the Amigos came from The Peoples’ Republic of China and Eastern European Soviet bloc countries, traditionally unfriendly nations. Perhaps as one student so beautifully put it, “I had never met a Chinese person before. . . a communist to boot. But when he described the family he had left behind for a year so that he could excel in his field I cried along with him. . . the love for his children was the same I would have, politics made no difference!” Another student wrote, “My Amigo is a communist and I am against communism. I still grew to care about her as a friend. That seems strange, but I guess people are people no matter what their governments are!” Thus, although students in both groups were more concerned with issues of international peace, it was only participants in the A.M.I.G.O. Project who were willing to make overtures on a humane basis to those with whom we, as a country, disagree. The results also suggest that although A.M.I.G.O. participants were slightly more opposed to supporting their country right or wrong (50% versus 57%), experiences in the A.M.I.G.O. Project seem to have created a

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greater awareness of the positive aspects of the United States. A total of 94% of the participants agreed with item 3 I-“The representative form of government may have weaknesses, but something similar to it is probably the best form of government for any nation”-(a change of 15%) whereas only 70% of non-participants agreed with the statement (a change of only 2% from the beginning of the semester). Most students who did not agree with this item were neutral.

Openness to New Ideas In their papers, the students continually refer to their increased openness to new ideas and ways of doing things-even to the extent that one group spent a day wearing the national clothing of their Amigos. However, the results surprisingly indicate that there was no change in the participants’ openness to new ideas as measured quantitatively on the questionnaire. A closer look at the items designed to measure this, however, makes the contrast between the quantitative and qualitative data less confusing. The questionnaire items designed to measure “openness to new ideas and ways of doing things in areas of educational process, social environments, and political systems” deal with very few issues and little openness. It is hard to argue, for example, that just because 92% of the students either disagree or are neutral about item 21-“It would be all right if all races intermarried until there was only one race in the world”-they are not open to new ideas. Furthermore, four of the six items deal with political issues. This section of the questionnaire is the weakest and needs extensive revision. The students’own words provide testimony to the broadening experience the A.M.I.G.O. Project has had on them. From learning about different ways of childcare-“ would never have believed that it was unnecessary to yell at a child to behave, but every time 1 was with my Amigo’s children in public and private settings they were well behaved. My Amigo explained to me how she kept order.. . it was quite different from what 1 knew, but it sure was successful”-to foods, clothing, and interpersonal communication practices-“1 realized how much more could be said with silence”-the students continually wrote of an increasing openness to new ideas. One student wrote, “At first I was sure I would hate it, but gradually I looked forward to our meeting at her apartment where there was the inevitable new challenge for me.” Foreign students have reported that the biggest influence they have on their American friends’ attitudes is in bringing about changes in their friends’attitudes toward the world (Alger, 1980). It seems as though the Amigos in our community have begun to do the same.

CONCLUSION International exchange programs are designed with the general purpose of enabling individuals to obtain new perspectives, skills, and personal relation-

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ships, thereby increasing their ability to cope in a world that appears to be growing smaller (Alger, 1980). Furthermore, global education operates under the assumption that by demonstrating to people how they are directly linked into the global system (as well as by creating actual links) a more complex perceptual screen will develop and deepen interest in foreign involvement and affairs (Alger, 1971). The A.M.I.G.O. Project provides students with direct evidence of the global links in their own community. There has been controversy, however, over whether intercultural communication can be taught in the classroom and whether such instruction necessarily leads to better intercultural relations and attitude changes. Therefore, there has been controversy over the need for such instruction (Nwanko, 1979). Furthermore, critics (Bostwick et al., 1982) have suggested that many of the changes found in the studies comparing exchange with non-exchange students may be due to self-selection of individuals who go on the program, and not on the actual intercultural experience. In other words, these individuals may be predisposed to change their attitudes. As Bostwick et al. (1982) suggest, “It may be that the goals of the program are accomplished once the participants have been identified”(p. 13). In the A.M.I.G.O. Project this can not be the case. The students are randomly selected for the project, they have no prior knowledge of the experiences they will undergo and, in fact, many unwillingly begin participation (they do have the option to change sections, but that is time consuming, often inconvenient, and none have taken advantage of this option). Yet we have empirically demonstrated some of the same sorts of changes occurring that result from international exchange. These results, therefore, are quite striking and strongly support the importance of intercultural communication in the development of a global perspective, empathetic understanding, and the motivation to be informed on world affairs and international issues. Many of the students did not even know where their Amigo’s country was on the globe; now they express a keen interest in the international affairs of the country. Although this study is just a beginning in the documentation needed to make a strong case for the importance of international education within the university context, there are at least nine advantages to this type of program: 1. The A.M.I.G.O. Project does nor provide an international experience to the already converted, i.e., those with a global perspective. 2. It is less expensive and therefore can be more widely available than exchange programs. 3. It is not limited in its application to any one specific culture or group of people. It is equally adaptable to all cultures. 4. It creates an awareness of cultural/subcultural differences as well as an awareness of our own cultural assumptions, values, and biases. Consequently, we may be less likely to assume our words and actions are readily understood by others.

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5. Cultural differences are viewed positively. 6. The program helps us to realize we create some problems ourselves, it is not always “their” fault. Thus, some solutions are within ourselves. 7. It provides additional international linkages within the community to those that are already there. 8. The program makes us aware of the participative nature of our community. 9. It provides a worthwhile experience for many foreigners in our community, an experience that is not otherwise available. Of course a most serious question still unanswered is whether the changes in attitude and possible behavior resulting from participation in the A.M.I.G.O. Project are long-term. At this time there is no answer. Followup studies are being completed to see if the changes found have continued. Thus far, the preliminary evidence is encouraging. Eight of 20 students involved in the A.M.I.G.O. Project 1 year ago are still in contact with their Amigos, and the attitudinal changes identified at that time are still present. A larger sample of students has now participated in the program and further analyses are underway. The questionnaire has been revised, and hopefully the new items will be more sensitive to some of the changes the qualitative data suggest. Finally, it is necessary to document changes that have occurred on the part of the Amigos themselves. At this point all evidence of the positive aspects of the program for the Amigos is derived from the English Proficiency Exam and unstructured interviews. The improvement on the English Proficiency Exam was greater for the Amigos, but the limited range of the content examined, and the small amount of variance needed to produce significant results, makes this an unsatisfactory and incomplete measure of effect. The interviews indicate that the Amigos feel extremely positive about the program; many have encouraged new ESL students to volunteer. Furthermore, the ESL teachers report their students enthusiastically describe their experiences and look forward to the weekly meetings, This is just the beginning, but one that 1 believe is worthwhile. More systematic measures to evaluate the actual changes resulting from participation in the A.M.I.G.O. Project are being developed. A letter 1 received this semester makes the point better than I. Dear Dr. Stohl: I met you once only but you helped to influence me greatly. I have enjoyed meeting your student and all the wonderful things we did together. I will never forget the kindness of him. 1 have learned much from him and his friends. I would never have met him if it wasn’t for you. Thank you.

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A. M.I. G. 0. Project

APPENDIX OPINION

A

QUESTIONNAIRE

Please indicate the strength to which you agree or disagree with the following statements. 5 = Strongly Agree; 4 = Agree; 3 = Neutral; 2 = Disagree; 1 = Strongly Disagree.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

SD

D

N

A

SA

I would recommend to relatives of school age that they spend one of their school years as an exchange student.

1

2

3

4

5

Competency in a foreign important in understanding nations.

1

2

3

4

5

The United States makes it easy for foreigners to adjust to living in this country.

1

2

3

4

5

Experiencing an extended contact with people in a foreign country makes a person better able to deal constructively with international problems involving other countries.

1

2

3

4

5

I believe that one should support his country even when it is wrong.

1

2

3

4

5

There is hardly anything in the United States that I would want to be different.

1

2

3

4

5

It is not important to United States interests for foreign students/faculty/families to have good experiences while living in this country.

1

2

3

4

5

The United States should try to be on friendly terms with other countries who are unfriendly to us.

1

2

3

4

5

I believe that the United States should send food and materials even to unfriendly nations if they need it.

1

2

3

4

5

language is nor people of other

170

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Cynthia Stahl

SD

D

N

A

SA

1

2

3

4

5

In my opinion all sensible people believe in trying to be friendly with other countries.

1

2

3

4

5

When other nations are not acting with good will, it is foolish to try to achieve peaceful solutions to problems with them.

1

2

3

4

5

The university and community quate services for foreigners

provide adeliving here.

I

2

3

4

5

International friendliness can be mistaken for weakness and, therefore, should be used selectively.

1

2

3

4

5

If it weren’t for the Soviet Union, the world would be headed for peace and prosperity now.

1

2

3

4

5

Foreign immigration into the United States is a problem because too many of them do not adequately understand American ways and beliefs.

1

2

3

4

5

Our country many others.

1

2

3

4

5

Our responsibility to people of other cultures should be as great as our responsibility to people of our own cultures.

1

2

3

4

5

Our country should not participate in any international organization which required that we give up any of our national rights or freedom of action.

1

2

3

4

5

If foreigners would take time to learn about our culture and language before coming here, they wouldn’t have any serious problems while they lived here.

1

2

3

4

5

International good will is essential welfare of the United States.

is probably

no better

to the

than

A. M. I. G. 0. Projecr

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

171

SD

D

N

A

SA

It would be all right if all races intermarried until there was only one race in the world.

1

2

3

4

5

We should teach our children to uphold the welfare of all people everywhere even though it may be against the best interests of our own country.

1

2

3

4

5

It is our own responsibility eigners adjust to and enjoy country.

to help forliving in this I

2

3

4

5

No duties are more important one’s own country.

than duties to I

2

3

4

5

The United States should support the establishment of a world government that can solve international disputes by force.

1

2

3

4

5

We can learn many important things about our own country by communicating with foreigners who live here.

1

2

3

4

5

I can accept the leadership of other countries in many important fields.

I

2

3

4

5

A high tariff is necessary if it protects American jobs even though industries in other countries might be hurt.

I

2

3

4

5

One should know and travel the United States thoroughly before becoming too involved with other countries.

1

2

3

4

5

There are many problems for foreign students/ faculty/ families attending this university.

1

2

3

4

5

The representative form of government may have weaknesses, but something similar to it is probably the best form of government for any nation.

I

2

3

4

5

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C_vnthia Stahl

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

SD

D

N

A

SA

Exchange programs are a great experience but are not really important to one’s basic education.

1

2

3

4

5

The university community would be better off if fewer foreign students and faculty attended the university.

1

2

3

4

5

International experiences would better be left until after the basic high school education was completed so as not to interfere with a sound preparation for college.

1

2

3

4

5

There should be many foreign exchange students in all United States high schools.

I

2

3

4

5

Spending time with people unlike ourselves is a worthwhile experience.

1

2

3

4

5

National parks and other tourist attractions should modify their services so that their use by foreigners who do not speak English will be greatly increased.

I

2

3

4

5

There are many ways for foreign visitors to receive emotional support, material assistance, and important information for everyday living in this community.

I

2

3

4

5

Please fill in the blanks. 1. How many of your own friends are not United States Citizens? If the answer is 1, or more, please answer the following

~

questions.

IA

How long (on the average) have you known these friends? ____

1B

How often do you speak to them?

1C

Have any of these friends ever been to your parent’s home? ~

2. Have you ever been abroad? If the answer is yes to #2, please answer the following C).

questions

(2A, B,

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A. M. I. G. 0. Project

2A

What countries

have you visited?

2B

How long were you abroad (total number

2C

Would you like to go abroad again?

3. If you have never been abroad, 4. What is the single most adjustment

would

important

of weeks)? _

you like to visit other

weeks

countries?

thing we can do to help ease the

for foreigners living in this community?

5. Do you know

of any social services

agencies

that

will help foreign

families? What are they?

REFERENCES ALGER, C. (I 97 1). Columbus in the world, the world in Columbus: Foreign students at Ohio State University: Brief report no. 8. Columbus, OH: Mershon Center. ALGER, C. (1980). Potential of international exchange in building a more participatory world. Research on Exchanges: Proceedings of the GermanAmerican Conference at Wissenschaftszentrum (pp. 89-99). Bonn, West Germany: DAAD. AMIR, Y. (1969). Contact hypothesis in ethnic relations. Psychological Bulletin, 71, 3 19-342. BOSTWICK, D., CHILDERS, V., FREDLAND, R., RIMBAUGH, M., & WOOD, L. (1982). Z&hosewho went ond those who stayed: Evaluation of attitudes among participants and non-participants in Rotary International Youth Exchange. Paper presented at the International Studies Association, Cincinnati, OH. BRISLIN, R. (1980). Outcomes, human relations, and contributions to task effectiveness as key variables in educational exchanges. Research on Exchanges: Proceedings of the German-American Conference at Wissenschoftszentrum, (pp. 105-l 14). Bonn, West Germany: DAAD. CRONBACH, L.J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometriko, 16, 297-334.

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DENNIS, L. (1979). The relevance of American education to international students. Internotional Education, 8, 7- 11. JANIS, I. (1972). Victims ofgroupthink. Boston: Houghton Miffhn. KAGITCISIBASI, R. (1980, June). Using international experience to build global perspectives. Global Perspectives, 98, 3-23. KELMAN, H. (1965). International behavior. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. KIM, Y. (1979). Toward an interactive theory of communication-acculturation. In D. Nimmo (Ed.), Communication Yearbook 3 (pp. 435-447). New York: Transactions Books. McKEOWN, R. (1975). Rationales for international education: A taxonomic view. International Education, 4, 20-32. MISHLER, A. L. (1965). Personal contact in international exchanges. In H. C. Kelman (Ed.), International behavior (pp. 555-561). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. NWANKO, R. (1979). Intercultural communication: A critical review. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 65.324334. PRESIDENTS COMMISSION ON FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (1979). Strength through wisdom: A critique of U.S. capabihty. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. SHAW, M. (1981). Group dynamics. New York: McGraw-Hill. SHEIDEL, T., & CROWELL, L. (1979). Discussing and deciding: A desk bookfor group leaders and members. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co. THEY E, L. (I 982). i%e effects of intercultural experience of communication skills on perceived cultural values and attitudes. Paper presented to annual convention of Speech Communication Association, Louisville, KY. THOMAS, A. (1980). Psychology of intercultural action. Research on Exchanges: Proceedings of the German-American Conference at Wissenschaftsrentrum, (pp. 115-121). Bonn, West Germany: DAAD.

ABSTRACT

TRANSLATIONS

Cet article d&t-it une 6tude empirique de changements rf'sultant de "I,6 la participation 2 une expe'rience interculturelle d'u" mois. dans des classes de communication 2 Projet A.M.I.G.O." est organis groupes restreints et oblige les Gtudiants 2 rencontrer et 2 communiquer chaque semaine avec des 6trangers vivant dans leur comLe projet est confu de manisre 3 permettre .i des Gtudiants munaut6. d'obtenir certains des avantages d'u" contact avec des Strangers, sans Le programme a aussi comme hut de fournir une aller z 1'6tranger. expgrience significative et valable 3 des individus r.Ssidant temporairement aux Etats-Unis. Une analyse de variance 5 partir de mesures r&pgt&s d'un facteur unique a 6tE utilis& pour examiner les diffgrences entre participants et "on-participants au ddbut et 2 Id fin du semestre. Cinq variables dgpendantes -- ncceptation de diffgrences, ouverture d'esprit, importance d'gchanges avec l'ctranger, responsahilitg envers les Strangers vivant dans la communautE et attitudes 2 l'ggard de la paix -- ont Etf Gvalu&s. Les rkultats du questionnaire indiquent clairement u" changement conside'rable dnns les attitudes des En g&Gral les Etudiants sent devenus plus tolgrants participants. envers la diversits et les diffgrences, se sent sentis plus concerr&s par 1~s visiteurs gtrangers aux Etats-Unis, sent devenus plus consrients

A.M. I. G. 0. Project

175

de l'importance de ces derniers, et ont d&wloppe' un sens de l'int&Pt En outre, les membres du tours et du de'sir de voyager 2 l'ctranger. d'Anglais comme DeuxiZme Langue (les Amigos) ont fait preuve de progrk nettement plus importants que les non-participants 1 leurs examens de Les implications des re'sultats et une discussion maitrise de l'anglais. des limites de l'gtude en m&w taps que des suggestions pour une (author supplied recherche future sent don&es en conclusion. abstract)

Este trabajo describe una investigaci6n empirica de cambios experimentados come resultado de participacio'n en una experiencia intercultural que dur6 por un semestre. "El proyecto amigo" fue conductado en clases de comunicaci6n de pequeiio groupo y requiri6 que 10s estudiantes conociesen y interactuasen semanalmente con extranjeros vjviendo en su comunidad. El proyecto se design6 para permitir que los estudi antes de "college" obtuviesen algunos de 10s beneficios de una experiencia extranjera sin salir al extranjero. El programa tambi6n fue' designado para proporcionar una experiencia sign: ficante y valuable para esas personas viviendo temporalmente en 10s EE.UU. (A single factor, repeated measures analysis of variance) fue implementado para examinar las diferencias entre 10s participantes y 10s que no participaron. Este anPlisis fue' hecho al principio y al final (de1 semestre. Cinco variables dependientes -- la aceptacio'n de diferencias, la receptividad a ideas nuevas, la importancia de intercarnbios con extranjeros, la responsabilidad para 10s extranjeros viviendo en la comunidad, y las attitudes hacia la paz -- fueron evalua dos. Los resultados de1 inquest0 claramente indican que hubo un cambio significante en la actitud de 10s participantes. Sobre todo, 10s estudiantes se fueron aceptando ma's y 116s diversidad y diferencias, se sintieron 116s responsables para y mds interesados en 10s visitantes extranjeros que vienen a 10s E.E. UU. Tambri6n se desarrollaron un interzs en y el deseo de viajar fuera de su pafs native. Mbs, 10s miembros de1 groupo "El ingle's para extranjeros" (10s Amigos) mejoraron significantemente su proficiencia en 10s exa'menes de ingles mas que 10s que no participaron. Las implicaciones de 10s resultados y una discusi& de las limitaciones de1 estudio se concluyen con sugerencias para investigaciones futuras. (author supplied abstract)