“Weakened Expectations Syndrome” in the Face of Professional Futures: A Study on Exchange Students in the Framework of the Internationalization of Higher Education

Abstract

The research, developed in the field of the Education and Social, Work, and Organizational Psychology field, analyzes what we call “Weakened Expectations Syndrome” in exchange students in relation to their positioning in the world of work and, more broadly, to professional achievement. It was made with advanced university students undergoing international academic mobility (IAM). High expectations regarding future professional would be expected in the group, considering that they have attained the highest levels of education. In all of them, expectations play a central role. Methodologically, this is a descriptive and, fundamentally, qualitative study. The techniques used were a semi-structured survey and interview. It also included hierarchical evocations and or short life stories, which allowed for an understanding of the deeper meaning of the actions and shared representations of the actors involved. The results show burnout/hopelessness due to low expectations about the future of work (at the micro level) and high levels of anomie in a macro-national context marked by uncertainty.