Student Mobility and Narrative in Europe

Book excerpt: Bringing together case studies and theory, this book is the first in-depth qualitative study of student migration within Europe. Drawing on the theory of 'the stranger' as a sociological type, the author suggests that the travelling European students can be seen as a new migratory elite. The book presents the narratives of travelling students, explains their motivations, the effects of movement into a new social and cultural context, the problems of adaptation, and describes the construction of social networks, and the process of adaptation to new cultures.