Academics in motion: cultural encapsulation and feeling at home

Abstract

In this article we explore the concept of "home" and transnational experiences among expatriate academics in a multicultural housing complex of a private university in Ankara, Turkey. The international academics employed by the university and the educators working in the International School that is also located on campus constitute a sizeable proportion of the residents in this housing complex. Although on-campus housing that comes with some degree of cultural encapsulation has considerable advantages for a group of expatriates, it also creates perplexities due to the distant location of the campus from the city center, the limited availability of social contact with the locals, and the "sterility" of the university environment. Based on indepth interviews with a small group of these expatriates, we present the quandaries of cultural encapsulation and feeling at home.