Citizenship, Globalization & Language in Contemporary Buenos Aires

Winter (3 weeks), 4 credits

This intensive winter-break program is an opportunity to study intensive Spanish language as well as the relationship between democratic citizenship and neo-liberal globalization as experienced by Porteños in the city of Buenos Aires. It is an immersion in Spanish lanaugage and the history and politics of modern Argentina.

The program combines 32 hours of Spanish language instruction with rigorous classroom studies and experiential learning in the form of field work/site visits, arranged in three thematic areas. The first surveys the formation of modern Argentina by focusing on the displacement of indigenous peoples, "creolization" of the country, and mass immigration. The second part examines three key elements that have shaped contemporary public life: 1) military dictatorship; 2) return of political democracy and liberalization of economic life; and 3) transformation of the country into a market-centered society. The last part is an analysis of the way elites and non-elite groups, in the course of practicing citizenship in daily life, have altered and restructured globalization from below, creating new ways of life in Buenos Aires. Argentina's experience is now paradigmatic and useful for understanding the crises facing other countries.

No prerequisites, but priority consideration is given to juniors and seniors who are in good academic standing and have studied subjects such as Spanish, politics, economics, sociology, history, urban studies, and globalization.