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Costa Rica
Dates: July 29-August 19, 2008
Professors: Dr. Abigail E. Adams, Associate Professor of Anthropology (860) 832-2616 or adams@ccsu.edu
Dr. Marisa Mealy, Assistant Professor of Psychology (860) 832-1847 or mealymar@ccsu.edu
Courses: LAS/Anth 451: Field School in Cultural Anthropology, 3 credits IS 490: Field Studies Abroad, 3-6 credits
Scholarships: Students may apply to receive a $500 scholarship for this program. The scholarship application is incorporated into the Program Registration Form. To be eligible for scholarship consideration, students must be matriculated at CCSU, have a GPA of at least 2.5, and register for at least one of the 3-credit courses associated with the course abroad program.
Cost: The cost of this program, exclusive of tuition and registration fees, is $2,295 per person, based on double occupancy and a minimum of 14 students.
Program Registration Deadline: Extended to May 4
A cup of Coffee in Costa Rica The Field School is a critical component for students who wish to develop the skills and experience for cross-cultural work. Costa Rica is a setting that welcomes CCSU students in anthropology, geography, political science, psychology, history, International Studies, Latin American studies, public health, Spanish -- and more! The course’s title, “A Cup of Coffee,” is Costa Rica’s primary symbol: its major export and international connection, its social lubricant of highly-valued time with family and friends, the source of income that supports its famous legacy of democracy and egalitarianism, and the crop that the small farmer produces in balance with its beautiful natural environment. We will explore these foundation cultural themes within the framework of globalization and environmental sustainability. We begin the Field School in Connecticut, where students will study Costa Rica's culture and history and prepare for their three weeks abroad. In Costa Rica, we are based in the rainforest communities around the famous Monteverde Biological Reserve. We will travel within the country and explore Costa Rica's diversity: the Pacific Coast and its ecological and economic challenges (including the beach!) and indigenous communities there; the small towns of Costa Rica's central plateau and coffee region; the Poas volcano; and the capital city of San Jose. We end the course with a post-fieldwork meeting in Connecticut to complete library research and write-up, and share our slides, culture shock and ways of incorporating the Field School into our "States-side" work and lives. This year’s Field School is built around a service learning project, working and living with the residents of Los Llanos in neighborhood beautification. The project will facilitate our immersion in the community and in the technique of participant observation. Accompanied with the Field School’s program of Spanish language instruction and topical briefing lectures/seminars, the course work includes readings, a cross-cultural journal, field exercises and notes, and individual research in both Connecticut and Costa Rica. In addition to general participant observation and research notebook development, students will carry out symbolic analysis, oral history interviews, genealogical methods, kinship.
Mandatory pre-departure class sessions will be held on the CCSU campus during late Spring 2008 semester and during the weeks of July 14 and 21. The travel component of the course will occur July 29-August 19, 2008. Post-program debriefing sessions will be held during the week of August 25th.
The cost of this program, exclusive of tuition and registration fees, is $2,295 per person, based on double occupancy and a minimum of 14 students. The cost includes round-trip airfare from Hartford, airport transfers in Costa Rica, homestay accommodations, and field work arrangements.
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