Phenomenological Views and Analysis of Culinary Arts Students’ International Internships: “The Educational Psychology and Nature of Being” Before, During, and After International Culinary Internship

Frank Cullen, Dublin Institute of Technology

Document Type Article

Cullen, Frank (2010) 'Phenomenological Views and Analysis of Culinary Arts Students' International Internships: “The Educational Psychology and Nature of Being” Before, During, and After International Culinary Internship', Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 8: 2, 106 — 126

To link to this Article: DOI: 10.1080/15428052.2010.511106

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15428052.2010.511106

Abstract

This article explores educational psychology and the concept of self-identity before, during, and after an international internship in relation to the culinary student’s identity as a learner. The article provides results of the qualitative and qualitative feedback obtained from the 2008 cohort of students studying for a bachelor of arts in culinary arts and supports a line of reasoning that suggests that international internship has the potential to enhance the development of self as a learner and self-identity. The research explored the educational values of internship and found that students develop discipline of the mind that can enhance intellectual initiative and self-worth. It was established that the change in work and living cultures can lead to emotional upheaval and periods of self-doubt, but international culinary internships holds a fear factor that can be reduced through good internship preparation.