Coursework

Chile: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development

Prerequisites:
Three recent semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent and the ability to follow coursework in Spanish, as assessed by SIT.

This program combines topical seminars and discussions with field-based learning, around the themes of culture, development and social justice. These themes are divided into modules so that students can contextualize the Chilean reality, taking into account historical elements, current realities and emerging trends.

Theoretical perspectives are provided through academic seminars and are reinforced through the Spanish language classes.  Subsequently, academic excursions and community work experiences serve to contextualize theories and provide opportunities for critical reflection around programmatic themes.

The topic of human rights is intertwined with the programmatic themes of social justice and development as part of an expanded concept of social, economic, political and cultural rights within Chile.

The following syllabi are either from a recent session of this program or for an upcoming session. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, actual course content will vary from term to term.

The syllabi can be useful for students, faculty, and study abroad offices in assessing credit transfer. Read more about credit transfer.

Cultural Identity, Social Justice & Community Development Seminar - syllabus
(LACB-3000 / 4 credits / 60 class hours)
An interdisciplinary course conducted in Spanish, with required readings, examining political and socioeconomic development trends of contemporary Chile from the cultural vantage point of Chilean, Mapuche, and Aymara communities. The course includes participation in community work projects with local organizations in Valparaíso.  Resources utilized in the delivery of course content include the ANAMURI women’s organization, Centro Juvenil El Puerto, and other local nongovernmental organizations working on behalf of children’s and women’s rights, artistic-cultural expression, and local community development. Academic seminars are taught at the Universidad Santa María in Valparaíso. Educational excursions to Santiago combine firsthand exposure to Chile’s diverse socioeconomic realities with participatory lectures by area experts.

Intensive Language Study: Intermediate Spanish I and II - syllabus
(SPAN 2506 / 6 credits / 90 class hours)
Intensive Language Study: Intermediate Spanish II and Advanced Spanish I - syllabus
(SPAN 3006 / 6 credits / 90 class hours)
Intensive Language Study: Advanced Spanish I and II - syllabus
(SPAN 3506 / 6 credits / 90 class hours)
Emphasis on speaking, reading, and writing skills through classroom and field instruction. Based on in-country evaluation, including oral proficiency testing, students are placed in small intensive intermediate or advanced classes, with further language practice during homestays, lectures, and field visits.

Field Study Seminar - syllabus
(ANTH 3500 / 2 credits / 30 class hours)
A course in the concepts of learning across cultures and from field experience. Introduction to the Independent Study Project. Material includes cross-cultural adaptation and skills building; project selection and use of appropriate methodologies; field study ethics and the
World Learning/SIT Human Subjects Review Policy; developing contacts and finding resources; field study skills in observation and interviewing; organizing, analyzing, and communicating data; maintaining a field study journal. 

Independent Study Project - syllabus
(ISPR 3000 / 4 credits / 60 class hours)
Conducted in Valparaíso, Santiago, Temuco, Arica, or in another approved location in Chile appropriate to the project. Sample topic areas: land squatter organizations; the 1978 Amnesty Law; the Disappeared and their families; urban Mapuche culture; women’s reproductive rights; public health and educational reform; Chilean social policy; community-based mental health; Aymara social structure; folkloric roots of Chilean music; sustainable agricultural projects and rural society; indigenous belief systems and traditions.

Browse this program's Independent Study Projects/Undergraduate Research