An Intercultural Look at Italy through Photographs

Abstract

Students on study abroad trips take a lot of photographs. They share them with others in numerous ways, like Picasa & Facebook. Three years ago I had them take a picture and write a small ââ¬Ëblurbââ¬â¢ about what that picture meant to them. It had to focus on their experiences in Italy, not on something or someone ââ¬ÅAmerican.ââ¬Â I then took each of their photos/blurbs and created a photobook. This year, students will create an entire photobook in which they must include 20 or more pictures, each with a paragraph of description. The book can be themed (specific topic/subject), it can be general (people, sites, and miscellaneous), or it can better explain a theory (such as an Interpersonal or Intercultural theory). In this way, they will have to think as they focus and click the camera button: What am I taking a picture of any why? These questions will hopefully enhance their study abroad trip and will enable them to take a look at their experiences through a different lens.