Inside and Outside the Homestay Experience: The Social and Gender Factors

Homestay is a prevalent type of residential arrangement, particularly in the realms of education and foreign exchange. This arrangement involves individuals or students opting to stay in someone else's residence, rather than their own, and typically engaging in communal living and daily activities with the host family. The paper examines the frequently neglected elements that contribute to a satisfactory homestay experience, utilising both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Specifically, it explores the impact of external social factors, such as educational institutions, communities, and organisations, as well as the influence of gender on the homestay experience. This research contends that extrinsic social elements have a substantial impact on students' perceptions of a satisfactory homestay experience. Furthermore, female and male students possess distinct standards when it comes to selecting a highly competent homestay family. The paper asserts that the consideration of social and gender variables should be given more attention when examining the perspectives of students regarding their homestay experience.