Field School in East-Central Europe
The Field School in East-Central
Europe is cross listed as Anthropology/Sociology 403 - Ethnography
of Special Areas. It is worth six upper-level credits, and it combines
academic study with field trips to locations in Central, Eastern, and
South-Eastern Europe. The course has no formal prerequisites, and it
doesn't require any specialized knowledge of the cultures and languages of
this region.
But prospective students should be mature, healthy, adaptable, and
respectful of cultural differences.
The
information topics covered are:
§
Program & Locations
§
Living Conditions
§
Fieldwork
§
Cost
§
Application
Program & Locations
The
course runs for approximately four weeks in May, with Prague (Czech Republic) as our point of
arrival and departure. The 2009
itinerary is likely to include Presov (Slovakia), Mostar and Sarajevo (Bosnia
and Herzegovina) with optional excursions to Auschwitz and Medjugorje.
Students interested in the present-day situation of Roma (Gypsies)
will have a chance to explore Romani settlements
in eastern Slovakia where TRU
conducted a community development project funded by the Canadian
International Development Agency. (see Svinia
Project).
The
regions and locations covered by the course provide a good introduction to
the cultural diversity of Eastern Europe. As we
travel from the centre of the continent (Prague) to its
south-eastern periphery (Bosnia), we will
encounter multiple religious traditions (Protestantism, Roman Catholicism,
Eastern Orthodoxy, Islam), illustrations of
inter-ethnic cooperation as well as strife, vestiges of communism, and
locally flavoured responses to westernization. Read the Syllabus for
a detailed introduction to individual communities,
and follow this link for descriptions of individual countries http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/
Living Conditions
The
locations on our itinerary are all safe and free of open political
disturbances. In most of them you will find well-stocked stores which carry
many of the consumer goods available in Canada. Restaurants are
plentiful, with food and drink cheaper than in North America or western
Europe. For accommodation we will make use of university residences,
simple hotels and local types of housing. In some locations the
accommodation will be a pleasant surprise. In others, notably the Romani settlement of Svinia,
it will be decidedly rustic.
You can
see pictures taken in all locations by participants in the 2005 program by
visiting...
http://groups.msn.com/Anthropology403AndTheGypsyBusWeRodeInOn/photoalbum
Fieldwork
As a field
school, Anthropology 403 makes it possible for qualified and motivated
students to engage in individually designed field research. Those less well
prepared for this option will follow a more standardized program consisting
of mini-projects designed to enrich your understanding of the cultural
history of each destination.
Cost
The basic
program fee is $2,975. This includes all course-related travel in Europe, accommodation,
and some meals. Tuition (regular TRU
course fee), travel insurance, and airfare from Canada to Prague are extra. TRU students qualify for a $500. travel subsidy.
Application (see note below)
If you
are seriously interested in this program, please follow this sequence:
- Attend one of the information
sessions scheduled for the fall of 2008 semester;
- Submit the application
form once you have decided to apply for admission. Pease read the
instructions carefully as incomplete applications delay the process;
- If admitted, you will be
informed about the schedule of payments and other important issues via
email.
Contact
For
further information, please contact
Dr. David Scheffel
Thompson Rivers University
P.O. Box 3010
Kamloops, BC V2C
5N3
(250) 828-5182
mailto: dscheffel@tru.ca
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