South Africa: Multiculturalism and Human Rights

"You cannot pick a better place to study multiculturalism and human rights. I learned so much, both inside and outside of the classroom, about myself, South Africa, and the world in general. Through the ISP, I ended up producing one of my biggest academic achievements. And I learned so much from my homestay experiences – all of the homestays showed me how cultures can be so different, but people so similar. The program was an absolutely incredible experience."

-- Chloe Barber-Smith, Tulane University

Explore issues of multiculturalism, ethnicity, and identity in the context of South Africa, from both historical and contemporary perspectives.

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South Africa is truly a multicultural society, with 11 national languages and numerous ethnic groups. While South Africans have seen tremendous change since the first multiracial elections in 1994, they anticipate a long road before achieving the stated goal of equality.

Cape Town, the program base, was one of the first South African cities to voluntarily promote racial integration. In a typical semester, students complete four homestays — each providing the opportunity to meet and interact with South Africans from different geographic and ethnic backgrounds. The strong emphasis on the homestay as experiential learning complements lectures, discussions, field-based assignments, and excursions to provide a multidisciplinary analysis of the country.

Lecturers are drawn from institutions such as:

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