Culture,Development & Social Justice in Brazil

Region: Latin America
Country: Brazil
City: Fortaleza, Ceará, the Interior
Language: Portuguese
Term: Fall-Spring
Semesters of language study required: 5 Semesters of Spanish or Portuguese for Spanish-speakers
Sponsoring Institution: School for International Training-SIT

Notes:

A field study program designed to investigatehow social, political, and economic forces shape development in northeastern Brazil. The region offers stark contrasts between rich and poor, abundant rainforests and drought-plagued agriculture, avant-garde architecture and slums. A vibrant and expressive culture manifests the influences of indigenous peoples and Portuguese, African, Jewish, Dutch, and other European migrants.

In Fortaleza, the modern seaside capital of the state of Ceará, participants conduct fieldwork with organizations focused on migration, poverty, gender, human rights, and the social impact of large-scale development. A field excursion provides insight into issues relating specifically to African Brazilians and the African Diaspora.

Homestays with families from a range of socioeconomic levels deepen participants’ understanding of inequities in health care, education, employment, land, and basic resources in this culturally diverse and economically challenged region.

  • Intensive Portuguese Language Course
  • Interdisciplinary Seminar in Culture & development in a Brazilian context
  • Ethnographic Field Study Seminar
  • Independent Study Project
  • Rural homestays
  • Educational excursions around the region

For more information, contact and or SIT in Brazil