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Arts Term Abroad in Global Citizenship (GCTA): Guatemala
Application deadline:
The selection committee will be giving preference for half-hour interviews with the program directors to academically outstanding third- and fourth-year majors in Philosophy, Sociology and closely-related disciplines. We will schedule interviews before the end of Term 1. If spaces remain, we may also consider some late applications.
Attendance at an information session is mandatory to apply to the program. Information sessions will be held at the following times:
- Monday, October 24 at 3 p.m. in BUCH E274
- Thursday, October 27 at 10 a.m. in BUCH E274
- Monday, October 31 at 3 p.m. in ANSO 2107
- Tuesday, November 1 at 12:30 p.m. in ANSO 1305
- Monday, November 14 at 3 p.m. in ANSO 2107
All information sessions are held at the UBC Point Grey campus. If you are a UBC Okanagan student, prior to the application deadline contact UBC Okanagan campus Go Global Coordinator Dana Lowton, at dana.lowton@ubc.ca.
Summary
You and your classmates will work with your professors to consider how social and philosophical theory can help us understand the challenges posed by poverty and violence, and how the encounter with a radically different social environment can inform our study of abstract theory.
The opportunity to study with classmates and faculty interested in the challenges of global citizenship will help you assess your own commitments and values, and gain practical experience in the difficulties faced by community organizations trying to bring about positive change.
The program will be led by UBC faculty who will teach UBC courses aimed at a better understanding of global issues and their sources and the challenges of implementing change through the following means:
- Language immersion
- Living in a developing country
- Preparation in negotiating cross-cultural interactions
- Intensive engagement with faculty, community partners, and a diverse group of students
- Opportunities for engagement with citizen associations and non-governmental organizations
You can expect to benefit not only from theoretical discussions, but also from practical exposure to citizen organizations working both within a struggling society and across borders.
The program directors have arranged trips to visit women’s cooperatives, political leaders, traditional markets, cultural presentations and archaeological sites. This will include a two-night visit to Lake Atitlan, visiting local villages around the lake, returning via the famous Sunday textile market at Chichicastenango.
You will also have the opportunity to take part in volunteer activities while staying at a coffee cooperative. These activities will increase your cultural and historical knowledge of the area.
Lectures and meetings with local groups will offer you other opportunities to learn about the work of other civil society organizations.
To get an accurate idea of what the day-to-day experience will be like, review the following document : What to Expect
This group-study program will consist of up to 20 participants.
Here is a short video that one of our past participants put together about his experience on the program:
Courses
You should expect an intensive study experience during the six weeks of formal teaching - a week of course work will be compressed into a single day. Sociology and philosophy perspectives on power and oppression, the demands of poverty, and the role of civil society, will integrate experiential learning with theoretical reflection.
Complementary activities will expose you to the work of political organizations and civil society.
All credit earned on this program will be considered UBC credit. There will be two courses on this program, each worth three credits, for a total of six credits. No previous course-work or background in Sociology or Philosophy is expected or required for these courses. View faculty bios.
- PHIL 335A: Power and Oppression
Instructor: Sylvia Berryman
This course examines philosophical theories of power and oppression and the significance of these phenomena in human interactions. The image of power and its potential oppressive effects on the human psyche and on social structure and civil society are themes that have haunted political thought: changing social structures produce different nightmares and narratives of oppressive power. As philosophers attempt to articulate these concerns, analyses of the nature of power and oppression sometimes identify our deepest values as individuals and as a human community.
- SOCI 430: Global Citizenship: Civil Society in Theory and Practice
Instructor: Tom Kemple
This course, taught on location in Guatemala in coordination with Phil. 335A – Power and Oppression, examines major ideas concerning the nature and role of civil society in an era when there has been great optimism about its potential to oppose the oppressive power of states and markets. In recent years, the concept of ‘civil society’ as a distinct field of experience which has emerged between the private and the public spheres has increasingly become both a focus of research for the social sciences and a rallying cry for political action in the service of a truly cosmopolitan society.
By drawing on our first-hand participant observations of a society heavily dependent on transnational nongovernmental organizations and with a history of oppression and civil war, these courses invite you to discover some of the challenges of social transformation. By combining academic reading and writing with training in field research methods and service learning, you will be encouraged to draw connections between the arguments of key social thinkers on a variety of theories and your own experiences with local struggles.
Eligibility
- Courses don't have prerequisites, and are suitable for second- to fourth-year students
- You must register for the courses offered and be willing to participate in service learning experiences
- Previous Spanish study is an asset, but is not required
- You should be able to demonstrate a willingness to live in less comfortable conditions and an interest in learning about poverty and civil society organizations
- You will be selected based on personal maturity and a demonstrated commitment to the learning theme and goals of the program
Language of instruction
- English
Term offered
- May - June 2012
Program fee
$2000 program fee* includes:
- School fees for informal Spanish instruction
- Accommodation with three meals per day
- Field trips and cultural activities
- In-country transport for program activities
- Service learning experiences
- $371 Go Global fee
Not included:
- Transportation to and from Guatemala
- UBC tuition for 6 credits
- Immunizations
- Visas
- Spending money
- Health or travel insurance
You will need some spending money for snacks, souvenirs, phone calls and Internet use, personal travel on weekends, and approximately six meals during free time. While personal spending varies, you should budget to have at least $500.
*Program fee is dependent upon the number of students enrolled in the program.
Awards
This program is partially funded by the Arts Research Course Abroad Award Program (ARCAAP). You will automatically be considered for this funding upon submission of your application to the Arts Term Abroad in Global Citizenship: Guatemala group study program, there is no need to apply separately for this award. If you're selected to participate in the Arts Term Abroad in Global Citizenship: Guatemala you will receive details regarding any potential funding we can offer you with your offer of participation to the group study program.
Timeline
As this is a tentative schedule at this time, all dates are subject to change
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| November 2011 – |
Interviews and offers. All offers must be accepted by payment of a deposit given in the Offer Letter. If you are eligible for ARCAAP funding, (outlined in Offer Letter), the deposit will be approximately $500-$800. If not, the deposit will be $1000. Deposits are payable through the SSC financial account (the same place you pay tuition) |
| January - February 2012 | If you are eligible for ARCAAP funding: final program fees due, payable through your SSC financial account (the same place you pay tuition). Information about the amount will be emailed to you prior to the payment deadline. |
| March 2012 | Pre-Departure preparation and safety briefings |
| April 13, 2012 | Deadline to purchase flight to Guatemala |
| May 5, 2012 | Arrive in Guatemala City by 9 pm (mandatory) |
| May 6, 2012 | Bus to Quetzaltenango (Xela) and orientation |
| May 8–12, 2012 | Informal non-credit Spanish language study; cultural presentations; volunteer opportunities. Accommodation is homestay with local families. |
| May 13, 2012 | Travel to Nebaj |
| May 14–25, 2012 | Live in bunk-room accommodation; classroom instruction on site for 3 hours a day; eco-tourism project in indigenous village; three service learning opportunities available. |
| May 22 - 27, 2012 | Two-night field trip to Lago Atitlan; visits to local indigenous villages, women's cooperatives, development projects, Mayan textile market |
| May 28 - June 13, 2012 | Live on local coffee cooperative; classroom instruction on site; volunteer opportunities in teaching, agriculture, developing eco-tourism, and fair trade |
| June 14–16, 2012 | Bus to Antigua. Optional visit to the Guatemala City dump in Antigua. Free time and cultural activities in Antigua; farewell dinner |
| June 17, 2012 | Program ends |
Application
- The application deadline for this program is
January 4 , 201 2 at 4:30 pm. Applications are being considered on a rolling basis, please apply as soon as possible to ensure your application is considered. - Applications are now open and can be initiated online via the Go Global Gateway application system.
If you need to log in to complete your application once you have started it, or to view your application, please access this section of the Go Global Gateway application system. - If you encounter any problems submitting your application via the Go Global Gateway, please direct them to Kerri Leeper at kerri.leeper@ubc.ca
- Eligible applicants will be invited for an interview prior to being accepted into the program.
Please send any questions about applying to this program to Kerri Leeper, Group Study Program Coordinator at Go Global at kerri.leeper@ubc.ca.
Withdrawls and Refunds
If you decide to withdraw your application following submission, you need to make this request in writing by email to Kerri Leeper, the Group Study Program Coordinator. Please be sure to consult the Group Study Refund Policy terms.
