Transcript ACM Costa Rica Programs Studies in Latin American Culture & Society & Tropical Field Research Eliza Willis, Ph.D. Director.

ACM Costa Rica Programs
Studies in Latin American Culture & Society
&
Tropical Field Research
Eliza Willis, Ph.D.
Director
Map of Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s Biodiversity
Photographs courtesy
of Jodi Gaiser
Species & Genetic Diversity
Source: Vilma Obando Acuña, Biodiversidad en Costa Rica: estado del conocimiento y
gestión, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Santo Domingo de Heredia, 2002, p.14
Geographic Complexity
Volcanic Structures
 290 volcanic structures identified

20 fully formed volcanic cones
Source: Guillermo Alvarado Induni, Volcanes de Costa Rica, EUNED, San José, 2000, p.1
Studies in Latin American
Culture & Society
Fall 2003
Dates:
August 23 – December 5, 2003
Enrollment:
25-30 students
Eligibility:
Sophomores, juniors and seniors
with at least two years of college
Spanish or its equivalent.
Credit and Grades:
Recommended credit is 16 semester hours or the equivalent. Students
should consult with their campus program advisor or off-campus
studies officer for their college’s credit and grading policies for this
program.
Academic Year Program:
Students may apply for the entire academic year, since the fall program
provides excellent preparation for the spring program, Tropical Field
Research, in which students conduct independent research on topics in
the social sciences, humanities and natural sciences.
Orientation and Field Trips
Cultural orientation is
stressed in lectures and
discussions on topics such
as social conditions in
Latin America, cultural
stereotypes and the
problems of living abroad.
Throughout the semester,
the academic program is
complemented by field
trips which allow students
to explore the diverse
human and physical
geography of the country.
Photo courtesy of Jodi Gaiser
Spanish Grammar, Conversation and Culture
Instruction at the ACM center
is provided by experienced
Costa Rican teachers working
under the direction of Eduardo
Estevanovich. Instructors
rotate among small classes to
expose students to several native
speakers.
Classes meet 17½ hours a
week during the first five
weeks of the semester and
focus on comprehension
and conversation, Costa
Rican idioms and
grammar review.
(required, 4 credits)
Core Course
Students choose between
two courses, taught by local
experts, that deal with
contemporary issues in
economics, politics, society
and conservation. Recent
course titles have included:
“Costa Rican Democracy:
Strengths and
Contemporary Issues,”
“Modernity and
Development in Urban Costa Rica,” “Neotropical
Biodiversity and Conservation” and “Gender and
Power in Central America: An Inquiry into Politics,
Economics, Culture and Everyday Life.”
As a central part of the course, during weeks 8-15,
students undertake a major independent study
project. Although classes are held in Spanish
whenever possible, papers and conferences with
instructors may be in either Spanish or English,
depending on the student’s preference. (required, 6
credits)
Introduction to Costa Rica
This overview of modern
Costa Rica features
discussions of geography,
history, religion, social life
and ethnicity. Readings are
drawn from literature, and
from the social and natural
sciences.
Taught in Spanish, the
course includes field
work in San José and
incorporates the rural
stay. (required, 3 credits)
Rural Stay
Part way through the program,
students leave San José and go
to live with rural families for
two weeks. This time in
outlying areas leads students to
rely entirely on Spanish and
allows them to explore urban
and rural contrasts.
Student journals and
interviews provide the
basis for an oral report
in the Introduction to
Costa Rica course.
Independent Study Project
On returning from the rural
stay, students undertake a
major research project related
to a theme of the Core Course.
The project may include field
investigation, library research
and interviews in San José.
Students generally write their
research papers in English.
Past projects have
included studies of the
status and rights of women
in Costa Rican society, the
potential for eco-tourism
and the results of the Arias
peace plan.
Language Electives (choose one)
Literature of Latin America
This course introduces students to the
contemporary literature of the region.
Class work includes analysis of poetry,
fiction and drama. Readings are all in
Spanish. Costa Rican authors meet
with the class to discuss their work.
(3 credits)
Advanced Composition in Spanish
This course focuses on improving students’ writing skills through
emphasizing good exposition, grammar review and the development of an
effective style. (3 credits)
Advanced Conversation in Spanish
The emphasis of this course is on attaining greater fluency through
work on pronunciation, vocabulary development and conversational
skills. (3 credits)
Tropical Field Research
Spring 2003
Dates: January 25 – May 16, 2003
Enrollment: 25-27 students
Eligibility:
Juniors and seniors with prior course
work in the proposed research
discipline and at least one year of
college Spanish (two years strongly
recommended).
Students in a rural hospital
Preference is given to students with strong backgrounds in Spanish
and good preparation in the discipline in which they propose to
work. Familiarity with statistics and field work methodology is
strongly recommended. Sophomores are sometimes accepted
Credit and Grades:
Recommended credit is 16 semester hours
or the equivalent. (Language Study, 4
credits; Field Research, 8 credits;
Research Seminar and Paper, 4 credits).
Students should consult the campus
program advisor or off-campus studies
officer for their college’s credit and
grading policies for this program. The
amount and distribution of credit should
be determined in advance.
Academic Year Program:
ACM’s fall Costa Rica program, Studies in Latin American Culture
and Society, provides excellent preparation for the spring research
projects. Some students complete a full year in Costa Rica by
attending both programs.
Orientation, Language and Culture
During the four-week orientation
in San José, students prepare their
research proposals and take an
intensive course combining study
of the Spanish language and Costa
Rican culture. Language study
continues during the final four
weeks of the semester.
In the first week of the semester, the students discuss with the
program director and the academic advisors possible research
options. The director selects advisors for the students with similar
interests and expertise in the specific fields of interest.
Student and advisor then write a detailed research proposal. Advisors
counsel students on methodology and on the practical problems of
operating in the field. They also help identify useful resources. A visit
to the field site with the advisor precedes field work.
Field Research
Choosing a research topic
can be a complicated
process. Students are asked
to write about their research
interests in their
applications, but should be
aware that the field project
they actually do in Costa
Rica depends on the
expertise and availability of
faculty and advisors.
Students spend March and April in the field and are strongly
encouraged to find research sites outside San José.
A month-long period in the city concludes the semester. During
that time, students complete their research papers in
consultation with their advisors and formally present the results
to the group.
NATURAL SCIENCES
The ecosystems of the tropics are among the most diverse and
complex in the world. Research topics in tropical biology and
ecology range from regeneration of subalpine vegetation in
mountain regions to habitats of wildlife species. Students may
pursue topics in environmental chemistry, entomology, marine
biology, botany, herpetology or ornithology. Geology projects may
include studies of Costa Rica’s several active volcanoes.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
In economics, students can explore such topics as sustainable
development, eco-tourism or debt-for-nature swaps. Social ecology
students might focus on land use in the Osa peninsula, diversification
on small farms or deforestation. Political science students can study
voting patterns, the dynamics of municipal government or
development of forest legislation. Sociology projects might examine
family planning, the changing roles of women or educational patterns.
Public health projects might focus on water pollution or on the cost
and availability of health care in rural areas.
Guayabo National Monument
Photographs courtesy of Matthew Watson
ARCHAEOLOGY AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Field work at pre-Columbian sites, carried out in cooperation with the
National Museum of Costa Rica, includes survey and mapping
techniques, excavation and data recording procedures, and laboratory
analysis. Students interested in cultural anthropology might work in
rural areas on topics such as the impact of tourism on the culture of the
Bri Bri.
José León Sánchez, an internationally recognized Costa
Rican author
LITERATURE AND THE ARTS
Projects might include the study of feminist poets or an analysis
of local craft traditions.
Past Research Projects
Archaeological excavations
Scarlet macaw chick development
Acidic precipitation at Poás Volcano
Primates in the Osa Peninsula
Poetry by Costa Rican women
Contamination of river water
Costa Rican Bilingual Education Plan
Reproductive behavior of damselfish
Effects of tourism on the ceramics industry
Effectiveness of government health programs
Ethnobotanical study of traditional medicinal plant usage
Government agricultural development policies and the small farmer
Development, globalization and the life story of a rural Costa Rican woman
Program Alumni
Anne Becher (Carleton) was a student in 1985. She
received her M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics from the
University of Colorado, where she is currently a Spanish
professor. She is co-author of the popular guide book
The New Key to Costa Rica and co-editor of a bilingual
literary magazine Selvática. She writes reference books
for publisher ABC-Clio.
Christopher Vaughan (Grinnell) participated in the ACM program in 1969. He later
returned to Costa Rica as a professor of the Universidad Nacional and has advised
ACM students for many years. He has written widely on different areas of wildlife
conservation in Costa Rica.
Peggy Barlett (Grinnell) was a student on the ACM program in 1968. Her research
focused on rural health. She is currently an Anthropology professor at Emory
University, with a Ph.D. From Columbia University. She is the author of several
books focusing on different aspects of rural life.
Warren Johnson (Oberlin) participated in the ACM program in 1982; his research
focused on small terrestrial rodents. Dr. Johnson went on to receive his Ph.D. in
Animal Ecology from Iowa State University. He currently works with the
Laboratory of Genomic Diversity of the National Cancer Institute.
Living with a Costa Rican Family
 Both the spring and the
fall programs involve
living with a host family.
This is perhaps the most
popular aspect of the
programs.
 The ACM maintains
a very close
relationship with its
host families.
Access to Sports, Recreational and Library
Facilities at the University of Costa Rica

Students have access to the university’s sports
facilities (gymnasium, pool, basketball courts)

Students can join university clubs and teams
(chess, outdoor activities, basketball, tennis)

The ACM promotes interaction with university
students by coordinating visits to English classes
 Students receive orientation to facilitate their
bibliographical research in the university’s
library system.
Program Staff
Photos taken by Jessica Haugsland
Presentation design by Judith Magnan
Associated Colleges of the Midwest
Phone: 312-263-5000
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.acm.edu