International Encounters: Experiences of Visitors and Hosts in a Cross-Cultural Program

The present study aimed to gain further insights into how visiting international social work students and their hosts from different cultures learn about each others' social services, culture, and personal values. Six Israeli students and 8 Indian students have written narratives and reflections on their experiences in the international encounter during the fieldwork exchange program. Content analysis of the students' papers revealed a learning process that students go through, through which paternalistic attitudes move in the direction of cultural sensitivity that leads to cultural relativism, and then moves back again. Through this process, the students acquire the knowledge and skills they need for implementing international social work in line with social work values and declaration.