Peru: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization

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Coursework

The interdisciplinary coursework in the Peru: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization program focuses on Peru's traditional and contemporary indigenous societies in the context of both Peruvian identity politics and the transnational pressures of globalization.  Students learn about the history and cultural identity of Peru's native Amazon and campesinos communities while examining these groups' community development, preservation, and advocacy efforts in the context of shifting global forces. Students participate in a variety of research and cultural activities throughout the semester and learn from researchers, academics, professionals, practitioners, and community experts. During the final month of the semester, students leverage their field study experience and research skills to conduct an Independent Study Project (ISP).

The following syllabi are from a recent or upcoming semester of this program. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of unique learning opportunities, actual course content varies from semester to semester. The syllabi can be useful for students, faculty, and study abroad offices in assessing credit transfer. Read more about credit transfer.

Indigenous Peoples and Globalization Seminar - syllabus
(LACB 3000 / 6 credits / 90 class hours)
An interdisciplinary course conducted in Spanish, with required readings, examining Peru’s traditional and contemporary indigenous societies in the context of both Peruvian identity politics and the transnational pressures of globalization. Lecturers are drawn from institutions such as Centro Bartolomé de las Casas, the leading Peruvian Andean nongovernmental organization (NGO) focused specifically on indigenous and campesinos issues; ProNaturaleza, an Amazon and conservationist NGO in Iquitos; and Centro de Estudios Literarios Antonio Cornejo Polar, a literary center in Lima.

Intensive Language Study: Quechua - syllabus
(QUEC 1000 / 2 credits / 30 class hours)
Emphasis on beginning oral and comprehensionskills through classroom and field instruction. Formal instruction is augmented by language practice during rural homestays and excursions.

Intensive Language Study: Spanish - syllabus
(SPAN 2003-4003 / 3 credits / 45 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 intensive intermediate or advanced classes, with further language practice in Cusco 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 refinement; appropriate methodologies; field study ethics and the World Learning/SIT Human Subjects Review Policy; developing contacts and finding resources; developing skills in observation and interviewing; gathering, organizing, and communicating data; maintaining a work journal; specific attention to research ethics and intellectual property when working with marginalized peoples; exposure to non-Western research methodologies.

Independent Study Project - syllabus
(ISPR 3000 / 4 credits / 120 class hours)
Conducted in Cusco or in another approved location appropriate to the project in Peru. Sample topics areas: role of oral histories, legends, and myths in ethnocultural preservation; knowledge transmission; changing agricultural practices; ecotourism as a community development model; grassroots empowerment; urban indigenous communities; generational dynamics in cultural pride and heritage.

Browse this program's Independent Study Projects/Undergraduate Research