Perceived Impacts of Diaspora Volunteering on Intercultural Competence and Identity

Abstract

The effects of international volunteering have been widely discussed. However, research is mostly limited to a certain population that does not include minorities. To extend and contribute to this topic, second-generation Vietnamese Germans were interviewed to investigate the perceived impacts of diaspora volunteering on intercultural competence and identity. Deardorff’s process model of intercultural competence (2006) and the Global People Competence Framework by Spencer-Oatey and Stadler (2009) serve to identify competencies that the participants developed. The perceived impacts were reflected in seven categories: attitude, contact with Vietnamese people, Vietnamese language, communication and interaction, reflection, identity, and other impacts. Though the participants have developed intercultural competencies, they had difficulties to report on them. Their development was further influenced by their level of reflection, the time span between their service and the interviews, their friends, and their studies. The development of identity was considered an important outcome. This shows that the impacts on identity are worth considering in further research on diaspora volunteering and intercultural competence. The participants learned to understand others and themselves through contact and effective interactions with their ethnic in-group. All in all, the voluntary service was perceived as having a great influence on the participants’ lives.