Location:

Durban, South Africa

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Fall Semester, Spring Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

Explore the dynamic socioeconomic, political, and cultural processes of South Africa, an extraordinarily diverse country in transition. Similar to other countries around the world, South Africa is striving to free itself of a legacy of racial discrimination, economic exploitation, and political authoritarianism to build a new democratic and equitable regime. Through coursework and community engagement, students discover the significant role that Durban, the program's base, has played in South African history, particularly its role in apartheid. To provide students with learning opportunities in many different contexts, the program also includes field visits to Johannesburg, rural parts of both KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, the Umfolozi and Hluhluwe Game Reserves, and the Drakensberg Mountain range.

In this interdisciplinary program, lectures and discussions in the Social and Political Transformation seminar aim to provide students with a solid grasp of the historical background of South Africa's apartheid system, contemporary developments leading to the dismantling of that system, the visions for post-apartheid South Africa, the political, economic and social structure of the future South Africa, and an anthropological and cultural look at South African society. A central premise of the seminar is the interconnected nature of issues of reconciliation and development in South Africa; it is difficult to analyze one without considering its relationship to the other. The Field Study Seminar addresses culturally appropriate, ethical field methodology in the context of migration issues, in preparation for the Independent Study Project (ISP). Study of Zulu opens windows into the culture and the theme of the program.

Please inquire for costs: Fees include tuition, full room and board, all field trips and related fares, health and accident insurance, and other direct program expenses. Participants pay for international airfare and domestic travel to the point of departure from the USA.

Setting Description:

The program is based in South Africa's third-largest city, the bustling and historic city of Durban. Durban is the site of Africa's busiest working harbor and is the most cosmopolitan of South African cities with its rich fusion of African, Western, and Asian influences. Durban and the province of KwaZulu Natal are home to the Zulu people, South Africa's largest ethnic group, as well as English-speaking whites—many the descendants of British settlers—the largest population of South Asians outside of India and Pakistan—including Hindu, Muslim, and Christian communities—and tens of thousands of African refugees and African and Asian migrants from a range of countries. Parts of the city have transformed into distinct Ethiopian, Congolese, Malawian, Pakistani, Chinese and other enclaves with a diversity of shops and restaurants.

Additional Program Information

Scholarships:

Yes

Scholarships Description:

Please see our website for more information.