Why Women's Studies Minors Should Study Abroad
Jeannie Ludlow, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Women's Studies
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"Sisterhood is global! was the title of a 1984 book by Robin Morgan that described many ways gender inequality affected women’s lives around the world. Twenty-five years later, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn published Half the Sky, a bestseller that demonstrated clearly that global women’s issues deserve our attention—perhaps now more than ever. Women’s Studies courses teach students to think about how gender intersects with other social categories, like race, ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and religion, to shape human experiences and social institutions. Study Abroad is ideal for students in the Women’s Studies minor because it allows you to see first-hand how these forces are at work in people’s lives and to learn from the strategies developed by scholars, activists, and empowered individuals in other nations to address inequity and social justice concerns. If you are a Women’s Studies minor, you probably already understand that you are a citizen of the world, that your life is connected to others’ lives through social and economic forces and through the earth itself and how we relate to it. When you study abroad, you will begin to understand these relationships in new and powerful ways." |
Recommended Study Abroad Programs for Women's Studies Minors
Australia
Griffith University
Brisbane
Semester or Year
Brisbane, with a population of 1.6 million people, is Australia's third largest city after Sydney and Melbourne, and is quickly becoming one of the most desirable places to live. The population is very young and culturally diverse. Griffith provides many opportunities for study abroad students to become acquainted with the area through orientation activities and arranged day or overnight trips. SOC 3903 is offered for Women’s Studies majors at Griffith University.
India
University of Hyderabad (AIFS Program)
Hyderabad
Semester or Year
India is a fascinating mix of ancient cultures and traditions, intriguing religions, and over 200 languages and dialects, combined with 21st-century technology and a growing international economy. This program, offered by AIFS, includes the course South-Asian Women in the Diaspora. It includes an excursion to the Taj Mahal and the opportunity to volunteer at an NGO.
Italy
Lorenzo de Medici
Venice, Florence, Rome, Tuscania, or multiple cities in Italy
Summer, Semester or Year
Lorenzo de Medici (LDM) is one of the largest and leading international schools of Italy, with centers in Florence, Rome, Tuscania, and Venice. You can choose to spend a summer or a semester in one of these cities, or you can choose three different cities for an unforgettable semester-long study abroad experience. Students at LdM have many opportunities to experience these Italian cities "beyond the postcard." LdM has a Department of Gender Studies.
Jordan
Al-Ahliyya University (ISA Program)
Amman
Summer, Semester or Year
From the depths of the Dead Sea to the vibrant city of Amman, ISA students will find themselves immersed in the magically ancient and modern culture that Jordan embodies. Learn Middle Eastern perspectives on women’s rights in the university’s Women’s Writing class, which addresses the question of whether Western feminism has made claims on behalf of all other subordinate women from within the different non-Western cultures.
New Zealand
University of Otago
Dunedin, New Zealand
Semester or Year
Dunedin and the South Island are a recreation lover's paradise. From the mountains to the forests to the ocean, you will find no shortage of outdoor activities. Otago has specific research strengths in the medical, biomedical, biological and natural sciences. Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and was founded in 1869. The city of Dunedin is known for its classic Victorian and Edwardian architecture. ART 3685 and ENG 3903 are two courses offered at the University of Otago that Women’s Studies minors can get credit for.
North Cyprus
Eastern Mediterranean University
Famagusta
Summer, Semester or Year
Eastern Mediterranean University is located on an island in the Mediterranean Sea in the midst of three continents, which makes it easy and economical to travel to Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, and Egypt. EMU is a comprehensive university with strong programs in many subject areas. All EIU students receive a free room at EMU.
South Africa
Nation-Building in the New South Africa (faculty-led)
Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dennilton, and Kruger National Park
Summer
The course introduces students to the historical, literary, geographical, political, economic, educational and environmental issues involved in the process of building a non-racial society in the new South Africa. This course comprises an integrated series of lectures, seminars and field trips that will include students and community members from both the U.S. and South Africa. While in Dennilton, students get the chance to attend seminars in HIV/AIDS support and seminars in abuse.
United Kingdom
Harlaxton College
Grantham, England
Semester or Year
Harlaxton Manor is a 100-room Victorian manor house located in the English midlands. Students live and study at the manor along with their faculty members and other Harlaxton staff members. Harlaxton offers ART 3685 for Women’s Studies majors.
Harlaxton is a unique experience because you live, dine and study with your professors. This gives it a great community feeling because you interact with your faculty outside of the classroom. --Kayla Blue, Fall 2009
University of Glamorgan
Treforest, Wales
Semester or Year
Glamorgan is located in the small town of Treforest. Treforest is only minutes from the larger Pontypridd and just north of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. World class theatres, museums, galleries, and great football (soccer) matches are all within easy reach of Treforest. Glamorgan's location offers the best of both worlds: a small town feel with big city opportunities available at your doorstep.
English Literary Landscapes (faculty-led)
Grantham, England
Summer
This course is an opportunity for students to read and discuss some of England’s most admired writers while resident in the British Midlands at Harlaxton Manor, a 100-room nineteenth-century manor house. Class meetings will be devoted to close reading of the assigned material, and weekly visits to literary sites will give students the opportunity to experience firsthand the landscapes that the assigned writers have made famous. A week of this 5 week program is devoted to the author Jane Austen.
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