Class: Working Abroad

Katie D.

January 6, 2011 - 8:46 PM

It's a new academic term, filled with brand-new classes in the Conflict Resolution (CRES) program! This term, Cohort Six is taking four core classes (Mediation, Adjudication, Facilitation, and Cross-Cultural Dynamics in Conflict Resolution). Additionally, if we plan to complete an international internship as part of our Masters experience, we have to take a course entitled "Working Abroad: Culture and Context." After a week of these classes, I'm really excited about this term and the new professors, topics, and skills I'll be studying for the next ten weeks. I'll be writing about each of these classes during the term, an updating about my progress in each. So this week I'm introducing Working Abroad.

Diane Baxter is a professor of Anthropology, and teaches this class as a 400/500 level class. This means that fifteen CRES Masters students are joined by about ten undergraduates who are also interested in study or work abroad as part of college. Professor Baxter is someone I've met many times in the context of social justice work at the University of Oregon, and I've always been impressed by her dedication and passion for this kind of work. I am so incredibly excited to be in a class with her this term.

The course description is brief and to the point: We will be studying "The practical, theoretical, and historical-socio-political contexts of working, volunteering, doing internships and field research abroad." This involves not only the study of historical trends of colonialism and cultural transformation, but also varying theories and philosophies of international volunteer work.

I am so excited. We are learning in a formal way the things I have picked up as I've traveled and lived abroad, from dealing with new surroundings to the fundamental fact that history matters in a profound way as we travel through the world. In a more detailed form, the class will explore:

(1): practical and include issues of safety, housing, water, and transportation
(2) political-historical and include issues of colonial legacies, post-colonial realities, development, and contemporary politics
(3) cultural and include issues of cultural understanding, cultural difference and learning how to appreciate and deal with those differences within specific contexts and
(4) "culture shock" and other personal adjustment issues.

This means that we'll be delving into both the practical and the theoretical aspects of living and working abroad. We'll be reading some exciting and accessible books (my favorite is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson) as well as theoretical anthropology texts.

The majority of the class grade is the final project. For this project, we have to complete a research paper about our international destination. The research not only deals with the specific history of the country or city we have chosen, but also has to address the practical concerns of study there: public transportation, food restrictions, language accessibility, and what to do if you lose your passport. I can't wait to do this assignment! Granted, I haven't selected an internship location yet, but I'm confident I'll find one. And when I do, I'll be required to do the practical side of preparation for my time living there, from context to pragmatics.