SOCIO-CULTURAL STUDIES OF LATIN AMERICA ( 18 WEEKS)

Transcription

1 SEMESTER PROGRAM SOCIO-CULTURAL STUDIES OF LATIN AMERICA ( 18 WEEKS) The program's curriculum covers topics that address the main contemporary key issues of Latin America and Argentina. This program is offered in Spanish, for Spanish-speaking and non-spanish-speaking students with intermediate or advanced levels of Spanish. Through this program, Spanish-speaking students or students with an adequate level of Spanish are able to complete credits and courses by attending local universities and sharing local university life, further enriching the academic experience. The offer of topics is accompanied by language learning courses at all levels, which allows students to improve and deepen the use of language skills in Spanish. Each student creates their course agenda in a personalized way and to their own measure based on personal interests, requirements of their home university and their competences in the use of the Spanish language. SUMMARY INFORMATION Duration: 18 weeks Semester program open to take courses at local universities: 18 weeks February to July- July to December Language of instruction: Spanish / English Semester Credits: credits (USA) (10-12 ECTS) Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina - FLACSO Argentina TARGET AUDIENCE Aimed at international students in the field of social sciences, humanities, environmental sciences, Spanish, health, who wish to make an experience of academic, linguistic and cultural immersion for a longer period of time. AREAS OF INTEREST Sociology, Political Science, Communication, Philosophy, Anthropology, Literature, History, Gender Studies, Intercultural Studies, Social Communication, Leadership, Social Service, Health, Public Health, International Relations. Learning the Spanish language (Leveling Tests based on the European Framework and / or ACTFL)

2 CREDITS AND GRADES The courses designed within the program are 45 total hours, grant 3 semester credits (US- Credits) or 2-3 ECTS (Europe) and transfer final grades for each course. The courses of the local Universities vary according to the workload and can transfer from 3-6 (USA Credits) or (3-5 ECTS) LINGUISTIC LEVELING At the time of application, students who are not native Spanish speakers must complete a form indicating language skills in Spanish and conduct an online interview. MAIN TOPICS Our topic offers are developed in semester courses that are taught in Spanish and / or English. Each of them focuses on specific themes in a comparative way. As part of the learning methodology, the classes are developed inside and outside the classroom and include guest speakers, outings and visits to places related of interest, as well as interviews with specific actors from the local area and different classroom activities, which facilitate students reflections and build their own learning in the course of the program. Technological as well as virtual tools are used to facilitate the learning and monitoring of the students and their performance during the semester.

3 1 Fields Topics ( ) Contemporary Latin America Cultural, social and political aspects of contemporary Argentina Human Rights in the Latin American context Development, Politics and Poverty in Latin America Gender and Sexualities in Latin America Migrations, Mobility in Latin America One world one Health: comparative studies Latin American History Latin American Politics History of women in Latin America Historical and cultural issues of Argentina Policies and Local and Regional Linguistic Planning Integration and Regionalisms International Relations of Latin America Social movements and political participation in Latin America Public Policies and Health Social, ethnic and intercultural studies Urban and environmental studies Art and literature Native Peoples, History and News Afro-descendants, history and heritage in the Río de la Plata Religion and Spiritualities in Latin America Human development and good living practices: from the pre-hispanic past to the new trends Environment and sustainability in urban areas Urban and architectural development of Buenos Aires Performing Arts of the Rio de la Plata Argentine and Latin American Literature Argentine and Latin American Cinema 1 The topics presented in the following table are illustrative, do not imply the development of all of them in each semester and program or a closed list of them. These topics are also part of the courses offered by local universities.

4 Music and Popular Arts of Argentina RESEARCH WORK IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (4 Credits) T he semester program offers students the opportunity to develop a research project within the topics offered by the program. This research transfers credits and is combined with the course selection made by the students with a schedule of individual or group meetings in relation to the methodology of research and mentoring with researchers who are experts in the subject and are part of FLACSO-Argentina research teams. It is a unique opportunity for students who wish to deepen their academic training in research and topics related to Latin America. To access the research the student must obtain the approval of the project, prior to the arrival to the program, both by the university of origin and by the academic direction of the program. SPANISH In addition to the offer of topics on Latin America, Spanish language learning courses allow non-spanish speaking students to complete credits, and at the same time, deepen and / or improve the use of Spanish in a context of cultural immersion. At all levels classes are scheduled inside and outside the classroom in such a way that the students can put into practice the contents addressed in the class. The study materials used are specially designed for each level and by the staff of instructors who are in charge of the teaching of each of them. SPANISH BY LEVELS Elementary : proposes an approach to the language that allows the student to manage basic communicative situations. Intermediate : it involves learning to interact in the foreign language according to his or her interests, needs and opinions. Advanced : develops integrated communicative skills and provides a thorough command of the language in lexicon, grammatical structures and discursive formats. SPANISH BY SKILLS Grammar : focuses on the domain of the structure of the language using the comparison of languages and the analysis of errors.

5 Orality : focuses on the domain of oral production, strengthening the oral fluency and vocabulary Academic writing : focuses on the domain of modes and discursive types of non-fiction written production in Spanish. ASSOCIATION WITH THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES OF ARGENTINA Through our Institutional agreements, International Students who come to Buenos Aires to do semester and / or short programs have the opportunity to take courses or perform specific activities in local Universities such as, The University of Buenos Aires (UBA), University Catholic Argentina (UCA), National University of Cuyo (Mendoza), Faculty of Health Sciences of Entre Ríos (Province of Entre Ríos), National University of the Northeast (Provinces of Chaco and Corrientes). This provides our academic offers, unique opportunities for interaction between international students and Argentine students, as well as adding knowledge on the social and cultural varieties of different regions of the country. CULTURAL IMMERSION The experiences of International Education must transcend the classroom in order to achieve one of its guiding principles: to create instances of intercultural understanding through promoting peace and the exercise of human rights between different cultures (UNESCO, 2000). These objectives can be achieved more easily if international students have the opportunity to know in depth the reality and the local perspective through the development of activities that facilitate cultural immersion. CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES They are planned for each particular course and / or program. These activities can range from: observation in the field in relation to specific issues such as the ethnic diversity of Buenos Aires; visits to sites of interest related to the topics of the course such as the memorials that teach about the last Military Dictatorship; the possibility of talking with special guests such as representatives of social organizations, access to interviews with specialists within the multiple disciplines of the social sciences and Argentine politics. All this brings a genuine added value to the course. In addition, students can take the advantage of being in one of the most prestigious academic institutions in Latin America and

6 participate in the varied agenda of seminars, exhibitions and other academic activities developed by renowned researchers and professionals of FLACSO Argentina. CULTURAL AGENDA It is planned and developed based on the offer of the City of Buenos Aires and that allows international students, among other things: Tour the city with experts and know specific points of historical cultural interest of the city Full day excursions, inside and outside the city, to places of tourist interest but with historical-cultural value Tango lessons and / or learn the rhythms of the Rio de la Plata as the candombe and the murga Take some "mates" to understand the cultural meaning of friendship Visit the notable bars of Buenos Aires and thus explore the history and anecdotes of Buenos Aires bohemia while tasting a "cortado" Attend a football match to "see" live the great national passion "Speakers Club": meetings with Argentine youth to improve language skills through language exchange Visits to theaters and other multiple activities that are added according to the interests of our students and the inexhaustible source of cultural opportunities that in itself is Buenos Aires. SOCIAL COMMITMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION The extensive network of institutional connections of FLACSO-Argentina is a plus for our international students since it allows us to enrich the experience with an agenda of social and community participation. The activities are planned under specific objectives with the purpose of helping the students to create a better and greater bond with the community as well as the possibility of making a significant contribution to the organization or community in particular. All these actions are accompanied by moments of reflection that allow students to understand the complex problems of the local Society and Culture, as well as reflect on their own learning. Community participation activities are chosen by students according to their topics of interest and their personal agendas based on two possibilities:

7 SPECIFIC VOLUNTARY ACTIONS These actions are specific or of short duration and are ideal for all types of students regardless of their place of origin and native language. There are different options and some examples of them are: housing surveys with NGOs that work on the subject, participate in the organization and classification in drug banks, socio-environmental surveys in conjunction with NGOs and State Organizations; support for homeless, tutoring for elementary schools students and other social actions. INTERNSHIP IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE This internship is a unique opportunity for international students, from the SEMESTER program, to interact with members of one of the most prestigious Human Rights Organizations in Argentina: The Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo Association (Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo). It was designed by both institutions, FLACSO- Argentina and Abuelas, with the aim of generating a learning environment for international students, which allows them to delve into the political, social and cultural processes experienced in the last civic-military dictatorship in Argentina. At the same time students use their growing linguistic skills to make a significant contribution to the organization, by translating cases of grandchildren that were abducted by the dictatorship and are still missing and are being sought around the world. The internship thus becomes a space of historical-cultural as well as linguistic formation, centering on the reconstruction of collective memory, the validity of human rights and social justice. The internship is carried out from the beginning to the end of the program and involves a schedule of biweekly meetings and the completion of specific tasks by students. It does not grant academic credits but it does provide a certification of participation in "Human Rights and Social Justice". ACCOMMODATION & HOUSING Under the agreement between the Area of Latin American Studies (ADELA) and the Faculty of Social Sciences (La Facu) of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) our students can choose to stay under the program "ALOJATE CON LA FACU". This accommodation program is coordinated by "La Facu" and has as host families Argentine students who are interested in receiving international students in their homes. This is undoubtedly a plus for the international student, since it allows him or her to experience cultural, social aspects of student life that could not otherwise be experienced. The coexistence with host families is

8 very enriching and provides a differential vision and simultaneously it constitutes an excellent intercultural experience. Student-family coexistence is permanently monitored by the staff of the Area and by the staff of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the UBA. SERVICES VISA AND PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION Independent students or institutions that agree with FLACSO the sending of groups of students will ensure adequate compliance with the VISA process according to the request of the authorities of the Argentine Government in each country. FLACSO will deliver the Letter of acceptance to present it to the corresponding national authorities; will initiate the procedure with the national organisms that require it, and will obtain the appointments so that each student realizes the procedure in the site, if it is necessary. Students or sending institutions will pay FLACSO the VISA rate that covers the administrative and legalization task. This rate does not include the cost of the government. HEALTH AND SECURITY Students must obtain traveler assistance insurance before entering the country. FLACSO may provide a list of companies recommended by the Estudia in Argentina program of the Ministry of Education of the Nation, which comply with the security and reliability requirements requested by the national authorities. Students must obtain the vaccines required by their countries of origin and / or the Argentine government in order to guarantee established preventive measures. During the activities of orientation and introduction to the programs, ADELA will provide the students with safety and health care recommendations for their stay in the country.