In the October 17th issue of the Hill News, there was originally supposed to be an article about St. Lawrence women studying abroad. After receiving the piece, “My Untold Story,” the other interviews that had been conducted about women abroad had to take a backseat to the sense of urgency that the anonymous piece held. Keeping that in mind, we’d like to publish some of the other accounts SLU women gave about studying abroad.
Elle Lucas ’16 is currently studying abroad in Spain. She feels that the differences between American and Spanish culture were not drastic. Lucas notes, “Women, as a demographic, appear to be well-respected.” Elizabeth goes on to say how, so far as she has observed women are given respect by other women and men alike. She says, “I think that there is a stereotype that women in Spain are under great duress of ‘machismo,’ which is a male-dominant society that derives from a very segregated and powerful past where the women had a diminished role in society.” Elizabeth went on to say that she has not noticed this personally, but thought there were probably some effects in the Spanish society from this culture.
Currently studying in India, Emma Cummings-Krueger ’16 has noticed more societal differences, as the women who go abroad to India have to attend a seminar on sexual harassment and follow several rules. These rules included things like not being alone outside, not drinking in public, not talking about boyfriends or dating lives, and always wearing traditional Indian clothing. Emma says that during her day-to-day life in India, she has not had to use most of these rules, as most Indians she has met have been very friendly. She comments that, “Some Indian women even dress in jeans and leggings while walking around.” Emma goes on to say that it can feel like the rules are overcautious, but the “Standard is also very different because we are foreigners.”
In terms of how women fit in culturally, Emma feels that “There are still some inequalities between men and women, but it seems we’ve come to India in a time when they’re beginning to balance out.” She points out that there is a clear gap in age in relation to beliefs in gender equality. Many of the older couples still have a power gap in their relationships, while younger couples tend toward a more equal relationship.
In India, Emma remarked, “Most girls our age expect to attend college and start careers.” However, many of them balance this with marriage and/or children by their early twenties. She says, “Indian women’s combination of old gender roles with modern independence is really striking.” Comparing India to the U.S., Emma says that there are many similarities in that women’s roles are constantly changing as society modernizes.
Even though British and American societies has similar views on women and women’s rights, Nicole Potter, ’16, did feel objectified while studying abroad in London, Fall 2013. There were several times when walking home late at night in North London when she encountered aggressive groups of men also out late. “I guess I felt most objectified when I traveled on the Tube,” said Potter, “It’s a place where there are lots of opportunities for men to look, and occasionally touch, women inappropriately. There’s always the fear that you’ll be the target.” However, overall she generally felt safe when traveling around the city.
“Traveling in Thailand as a woman was definitely not as challenging as in other parts of the world,” said Natalie Dignam ’15. “There is a big backpacking community consisting of young people from the States and a lot from Europe. Talking to some of the female backpackers traveling alone, I learned that they had faced some challenges; being propositioned to by taxi drivers, waiting in 7-Elevens if they felt unsafe, or choosing to head back to the hostel early,” she added. Dignam said her traveling experience was overwhelmingly positive and she encourages other women to travel both alone and with friends, as long as they remember to take extra precautions.
Across the world, women’s cultural role is changing as society modernizes and evolves. Traveling abroad gives St. Lawrence students a perspective on cultures that, while in many ways different, are going through many of the same changes as America, with young women creating and occupying new places in a society that is still evolving to fit them.