Cross-Cultural Program: Ireland and Northern Ireland 2001

• Before Leaving
  • Group Roster
  • What to Bring Along
  • Practical Preparations
  • Summer Assignments due at the beginning of orientation!
  • News and Announcements for students
  • Resources (website links, telephone info, background reading, etc.)
• On the Road
  • Travel Itinerary (the parts at EMU)
  • Maps and Demographics
  • Resources (website links, telephone info)
• Contact info

Before Leaving

Introduction

The semester will include Dublin, the capital of the Irish Republic, for attention to Irish history; Ulster (or Northern Ireland), the British part of the divided country, to create a deeper understanding of the conflict including an opportunity to meet people in Derry and Belfast who are working to bring about reconciliation into a polarized situation; and other sites for a taste of Ireland's rural heritage and ancient Celtic culture.

Program Description

Ireland is a land with a rich cultural heritage and a long and tormented history of political oppression and conflict. This semester will provide a focus on Irish history, literature, and culture with a special emphasis on Ireland's ongoing history of religious and political conflict between the Protestant and Catholic communities. The semester will include stays in Dublin, the capital of the Irish Republic, for attention to Irish history; Ulster (or Northern Ireland), the British part of the divided country, to create a deeper understanding of the conflict including an opportunity to meet people in Derry and Belfast who are working to bring about reconciliation in a polarized situation; and other sites for a taste of Ireland's rural heritage and ancient Celtic culture.

• Seminar Leaders: Gloria Rhodes and Anne Gross
• Location: The Republic of Ireland and Ulster (Northern Ireland)
• Dates: Fall Semester 2001
• Estimated Cost: tuition, room & board plus $1,500 additional travel cost
• Enrollment: 28 students

Course Credits: 15 semester hours

CCUS 201 Cross-cultural Understanding (3 sh) Through homestays, activities, and assignments, this course will help students critically reflect on their values, attitudes and behaviors and those of their home culture in comparison to the Irish culture. Students will be encouraged to explore their own processes of developing understanding, adapting to a different culture and empathizing with persons from that culture. Activities and assignments will include on-campus orientation, analytical journaling, group discussions and assignments, special projects in Ireland, and re-orientation to campus. (Satisfies the Global Village Curriculum cross-cultural requirement.)

CCHIST 301 History of Ireland and Northern Ireland (3 sh) The course will explore the history of Ireland from the earliest evidence of human life through the arrival of the Celts, Vikings, Normans and the British. A special emphasis will be placed on Ireland's ongoing history of religious and political conflict as a key to understanding the current conflict, the Troubles, in Northern Ireland. (Satisfies the Global Village Curriculum cross-cultural requirement.)

CCHUM 301 Irish Cultural Heritage (3 sh) This course will focus on the abundant literary, artistic and musical achievements of the Irish and will provide an introduction to the Irish language(Gaelic). A special focus will be given to artists, writers and musicians who have made statements about conflict and peace. Activities and assignments will include visits to concerts, museums, art galleries, and historical sites, as well as reading assignments and exploration of places of importance to selected writers, artists and musicians. (Satisfies a Global Village Curriculum humanities requirement.)

CCPOSC 331 Conflict and Reconciliation in Ireland (3 sh) This course will introduce the concepts of conflict resolution and reconciliation and will explore the political, religious and cultural aspects of the conflict and the peace process in Northern Ireland. Students will be able to meet and talk with political groups as well as groups working for sustainable peace on both sides of the Protestant/Catholic divide. (Satisfies the Global Village Curriculum cross-cultural requirement.)

CCSOC 301 Irish Contemporary Social Issues (3 sh) This course will explore Ireland's contemporary social issues and their contribution to a distinctive Irish culture. The course will also examine historical influences on contemporary life including: the famines; emigration; disappearance and revival of the Irish language; traditional gender roles; religious influences of the Catholic and Protestant churches; the stigma of Travelers and other cultural minorities, and the social ramifications of the Troubles. (Satisfies the Global Village Curriculum social science requirement.)

Required texts for 2001 Ireland Cross Cultural

• Culture Shock: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette -- Ireland by Patricia Levy. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company: Portland, Oregon , 1997 (or most recent)
• Personal Accounts form Northern Ireland's Troubles: Public Conflict, Private Loss Ed. by Marie Smyth and Marie-Therese Fay. Pluto Press: London and Sterling, VA 2000
• Scorpions in a Bottle: Conflicting Cultures in Northern Ireland By John Darby. Minority Rights Group International, UK 1997
• Stanford Enneagram Discovery Inventory and Guide (must be completed by Tuesday August 28). By David N. Daniels and Virginia A. Price. Mind Garden, Inc. 1690 Woodside Road
• A Traveller's History of Ireland 3rd Edition by Peter Neville, 1998 by Interlink Books.
• Pocket History of Irish Traditional Music by Ohallmurain.
• Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.
• Resource Notebook compiled by faculty leaders

Resources for Preparation

Contact info