South Africa

Cape Town & Johannesburg, South Africa

May 7 - 28, 2012

Total Program Fee: $4,390

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Academics and Courses    Application, Cost, and Important Details

Program Location:

This program will take place primarily in Cape Town, an exotic ocean front city surrounded by the beautiful Table Mountain National Park. Cape Town was originally settled by the Dutch and is famous for its waterfront harbor. It is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, with African, European and Asian influences. Along with South Africa’s unique political and cultural history as well as the abundance of wildlife and scenic landscapes, this is an ideal location for a study abroad program.

Program Description:

The program will seek to familiarize students with the fields of mathematics, literature and women's studies. The program will focus on historical and cultural issues specific to South Africa, including language, demographics, religion, poverty, crime, and race relations. The program is structured as follows:

Please note: Prospective students should be aware that study abroad programs require a great deal of walking. You should be prepared to walk at least a mile or two each day. You may also walk over uneven, possibly slippery or rocky terrain even in cities.

Excursions: Students will experience a four day excursion to Gauteng Province where they will tour South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg, and the nearby political capital of Pretoria/Tshwane. Additional day-trips while in the Gauteng include Sterkfontein caves and the township of Soweto. 

Classes: Classes will be held for approximately three hours a day during the week at various locations, including museums, local campuses and onsite at the lodging facility.

Accommodations: In Cape Town, students will live and eat two meals a day at the Riverview Lodge. Riverview is a secure dormitory facility, with all amenities within walking distance. In Johannesburg, students will live in a youth hostel and will also be provided 2 meals a day.

Academics:

All TnCIS programs are academic in nature and course work that takes advantage of the program location will be the central focus. TnCIS program courses are for credit only. In South Africa, students will enroll in ONE of the following courses:

WOMEN'S STUDIES: Women's Studies (No Prerequisite)
The role of women in South Africa's history and transitional democracy provides a rich case study to explore this paradox throughout the course. At the public level, women's rights remain central to the building blocks of democracy. Despite policies to promote gender equity at all levels of government, however, women in South Africa continue to incur disproportionately heavy burdens. For example, the growing rates of male unemployment coupled with the ravages of HIV/AIDS mean that women carry increased responsibility for family survival, even though their earning options are still confined within the former apartheid system of menial pay. These contradictions in women's experience will become a central lens to explore the multiple layers of social change and development in South Africa.

Participants in this course will share in enriching opportunities to contribute to social development projects as they learn from local experts within a variety of contexts--including orphanages, health care facilities, and women's centers. This study abroad opportunity takes you into the daily lives of community leaders in South Africa who continue to actively engage with the process of rebuilding society in the aftermath of severe racial conflict. Through direct contact with local organizations and social development projects, students will gain first-hand experiences with a culturally complex society in ways unavailable as an outside tourist. See course syllabus 

ENGLISH: Black Arts and Literature (No Prerequisite)
A study of the contributions of black artists and writers to world culture, especially American culture. The first half treats oral tradition, poetry, drama, and music; the second half covers the short story, essay, and novel.  Many of the contributions of black artists and writers have grown from oppression of systems such as segregation in America and apartheid in South Africa. A study of the oppressive social system of Apartheid at the program sites will serve to develop multicultural perspectives, social change analysis and critical thinking of race, class, and gender, which will function as a context for interpretation of the literature.  See course syllabus

MATH:  Survey of Mathematics (No Prerequisites)
Topics include critical thinking skills, problem solving, logic, geometry, measurement, consumer math, probability and statistics. South Africa presents a great cultural environment for students to learn about mathematics and its applications in everyday life. This program site provides a wonderful opportunity for service learning. We would like to visit schools and share methods to teach the mathematical concepts included in this course through the use of manipulatives. South Africa uses the metric system so that our students will gain a better understanding of this system of measurement. We would also like to participate in the typical excursions that make South Africa such a rich cultural experience. Students will be encouraged to recognize mathematics such as geometry in these visits.  See course syllabus


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