The Absentee American: Repatriates' Perspectives on America and Its Place in the Contemporary World

(Hardback)

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Description

During the 1950s and 1960s increasing numbers of American citizens were stationed in foreign countries, and a generation of American children grew up abroad. As the interdependence of nations increases, new generations of "absentee Americans" will be raised outside the United States. Based on interviews and questionnaire responses, this volume describes the impact of overseas living on Americans who spent at least some of their formative years abroad. The book touches on a wide range of subjects, such as schooling, living arrangements, social life abroad, and the trauma of re-entry to the United States. It also offers a view of the distinctive opinions shared by these "global nomads". By exploring the lives and experiences of repatriates, the author emphasizes the need for increased inter-cultural contact and for educational programmes that prepare young Americans to understand more fully America's role in world affairs.

Reviews

"As Americans begin to think more globally and realize their dependencies on other peoples of the world, The Absentee American helps us see ourselves as others see us. It is full of rich insight from Americans who have had to learn the ways of other cultures."-William Kornblum Professor of Sociology City University of New York Graduate Center

Author Bio

CAROLYN D. SMITH, a professional writer and editorial consultant, grew up in a Foreign Service family. She is co-editor of In the Field: Readings on the Field Research Experience (Praeger, 1989).