Mexico: Migration and Globalization

 Spring Semester: Late December through mid-May

Engage directly with diverse communities impacted by globalization, migration and emigration. Explore effects on women, gender roles, and attitudes towards sexuality, as well as diverse religious responses to these important social issues. Spanish classes are offered for all levels from beginners to bilingual speakers. Although appealing to a wide cross-section of students, this program is a particularly good fit for religion, women’s studies, and Spanish language majors and minors.

Location

Mexico is more than a spring break destination – it takes center stage in debates about globalization, U.S. immigration policy, and sustainable economic development. Programs are based in Cuernavaca, a vibrant and cosmopolitan city in central Mexico known for its innovative grassroots organizations, education, alternative health practices, and history of social struggle, as well as its appeal as a manufacturing base for numerous multi-national businesses.

Learn About

• The relationships between globalization and migration, emigration and immigration.
• Communities that are responding to the foces of globalization and migration and fomenting positive social change around issues of race, ethnicity, socio-economic class, gender, sexuality, economics, politics and the environment.

Engaging Conversations

Students will meet with feminist scholars and activists, including poor, Indigenous, mestiza, and Afro-Mexican Women; members of rural and urban communities who have been affected by U.S. immigration policies; and political and economic officers from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.

Course Offerings
Most students will take four courses, for the equivalent of 16 semester hours.

• Mesoamerican History, Culture, and Cosmovision (Women’s Studies/History 357)
• Globalization, Social Struggles and the Environment (Women’s Studies/Political Science 341)
• Contemporary Latin American Women: Texts and Voices (Spanish/Women’s Studies 335)
• Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning II (Religion 200)
  
• Up to three of 16 Spanish language courses
• Internship or Independent study for credit
• A non-credit physical education course in Latin dance

Housing and Homestays

Two houses in Cuernavaca serve as a home base for most students. four-to-sixweek homestays are an integral part of the academic programs. Longer homestays are available upon request, as are lesbian and gay friendly homestays.

Regional Travel

The program includes overnight and day trips to small towns, Indigenous villages, and Mexico City to meet with artists, religious leaders, and government representatives working for social change; and a seminar on migration and globalization with homestays in a rural village where students learn about traditional Nahua spirituality, culture, and understandings of gender roles, ecology, religion and community.  Optional excursions also occur to places such as Toluca, Taxco, and Puebla.

Prerequisites

Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors at any college or university. Enrollment is limited; one previous college-level course in Spanish or its equivalent is required. Students may arrange to take an intensive Spanish course in Cuernavaca prior to the start of the semseter at additional cost.

Deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling admissions basis. Deadlines are November 15 for the spring term.

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