The impact of the ERASMUS program on cultural identity: A case study of an Arab Muslim female student from Israel

This article presents a case study of a female Arab Moslem student from Israel who participated in the Erasmus Program student exchange program in Germany. The main goal of the study was to examine dilemmas relating to her cultural identity abroad within the Erasmus Program and to understand the impact of her studies abroad on her social, religious and political behavior associated with her identity. Qualitative methodology employed content analysis to interpret the reflective journals she was asked to write in English as a part of a class assignment. The main findings of the study show that the Erasmus Program experience was in general successful allowing the student to interact with and learn about the culture of the host country and the cultures of other international students although she faced complex dilemmas regarding her cultural identity.