Seeing South Africa: Storytelling and Race Relations

Students in this travel seminar will study the ways in which South Africa's past is a vibrant and complicated part of its present. This seminar visits a wide range of historical sites to investigate the ways in which the people of South Africa tell the stories of their past (a traumatic racial history), their present, and their future. We will analyze museum experiences, tour practices, and visual culture to explore how narratives of the past—and its relationship to the present and to the future—are presented. Our approach to films, non-fictional writing, oral narratives, fictional writing, poetry, and the visual as well as verbal texts presented in museums makes this seminar interdisciplinary in nature and interesting to students in any field of study.

South Africa is a breathtakingly beautiful country, and students in this seminar will see four of its major cities (Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, and Pietermaritzburg) while also spending two days at a lodge in the Kruger National Park area reflecting on race relations in rural areas, "eco" or "nature" tourism, and storytelling as part of "safari" experiences. Exposure to a culture and literature outside of the United States invites students to think critically about global race relations, the power and impact of storytelling, and the role of literature in human responses to oppression. Students will engage in active discussion, develop a sense of community with their co-travelers, and sharpen their critical thinking skills as we journey, study, and think together in this seminar.

Academic Details

• May 15 - June 8, 2011 (travel concludes on June 5)
• Course Numbers: ENG 158 & ENG 93 or ENG 165 & ENG 174. For Honors Program students, HONR 97.
• Fulfills Written Communication AOI and Multicultural AOI
• 6 credit hours
• 21 days of travel
• 4 on campus meetings pre-departure; 2 days of class post-travel

Cost

Depending on the final number of students, the program cost will be $5,500-$6,000, which includes:

• Tuition
• Airfare to and from South Africa & airfare from Durban to Cape Town
• Private motor coach for all daily excursions
• Housing (all hotels are at least “four star”)
• Breakfast every day; four dinners; three lunches
• All museum entrance fees (Origins Centre, Apartheid Museum, etc.)
• 2 days of game drives (seeing lions, elephants, etc.) at Kruger National Park
• Professional guides for all daily excursions
• 19,602 frequent flyer miles (only 400 miles shy of a free domestic ticket)
• International Student Identification Card (ISIC), which provides a wide range of discounts and special offers, including discounts on flights, museums, bookshops and restaurants.

Additional Expenses

• Lunch and dinner most days (See above; you can safely budget just $10-$15 per day for this.)
• Personal Expenses (optional excursions such as theatre performances; souvenirs, etc.)

Apply/For More Information

For brochure and itinerary, click here (PDF).

Apply online.

Once a student is accepted, a $1,000 deposit is required by December 15th to secure a spot in the program. DEADLINE EXTENDED! E-mail Professor Klimaszewski at melisa.klimaszewski@drake.edu if you are interested.

For more information, please contact: