LA PERSONALIDAD MULTICULTURAL Y SU RELACIÓN CON LA EDUCACIÓN EN EL EXTRANJERO

Abstract

In the global world, where cultural diversity is more present everyday, there is a growing interest in studying intercultural competencein depth which is essential to live and work in international ormulticultural contexts. However, the characteristics or abilities thatan interculturally competent person must have are not yet clearlydefined. This article aims to help clarify the relationship betweenmulticultural personality and education, taking into account thespecific experience of participating in a study abroad program. Themulticultural personality encompasses a series of specific personalitytraits, which favor or hinder the development of interculturalcompetence that in turn facilitates understanding in culturally diverseenvironments. To explore this question, an empirical research hasbeen carried out with college students comparing those who wereparticipating or had participated in a university program abroad tothose who lacked such experience. The result shows that participantswith study abroad experience had significantly higher levels in threeof the five multicultural personality traits: cultural empathy, openmindednessand social initiative. This result allows us to suggestthat these three multicultural personality traits are capable of beingtransformed through international experience, which has importantimplications for both theory and practice in the field of humanresources and international education.