Spanish sociology and service learning in Peru 2013
Oregon International Education Consortium
Summer, July 29-Aug. 30, 2013
Spanish, Sociology, Service Learning in Cuzco, Peru
Dates Traveling: August 3-25, 2013
The Oregon International Education Consortium consists of Central Oregon Community College, Chemeketa CC, Clackamas CC, Mount Hood CC, Portland CC, Rogue CC and Southwestern CC, offering several study abroad programs throughout the year.
Program Overview
Service learning, Spanish, and, sociology spice up OIEC’s new summer site: Cuzco, Peru, the ancient capital of the Incan empire and contemporary center of tourism. With its blend of Incan walls, colonial and modern architecture, Cuzco is ideally shown off in the town square, the Plaza de Armas, from which you can see and visit the Renaissance style Cathedral, The Jesuit La Campania, and the Coricancha, or Incan Temple of the Sun.
Students will sign up for one or two five-week sociology classes and then travel to Cuzco, Peru (Aug 3-25, 2013), where they will practice Spanish language skills and earn up to 12 units of lower division transfer credits. Immersion into the Latin American setting will occur through language classes, on-site sociology courses, and international public service in after school programs, youth centers and elder-care facilities.
Sociology classes taught online in Oregon; face to face in Peru
The week before the August 3 departure date, you will start your studies in one or both sociology courses (SOC 201 and SOC 215) offered. These hybrid courses run from July 29 to August 30, and will be taught face to face in Peru and by online interaction and assignments here in Oregon. After getting to know each other and being introduced to the challenges of living and working abroad—with the guidance of sociology Professors Tom Barry and Ken Ruettgers —you and the other participants will fly from Portland via Los Angeles and Lima to Cuzco, Peru, arriving at your homestay on Aug. 5. The homestay will last for 20 days.
Peru’s Daily Schedule of Classes and International Service
Weekdays you’ll start with Spanish classes tailored to your level from SPAN 102-203 (students are expected to have completed SPAN101 prior to departure). After lunch and Spanish, you and your classmates will travel in small groups to a variety of service learning sites—one of five non-profit organizations helping residents of Peru. Build your experience, your resume and your cultural sensitivity as you help children with their homework and organize recreational activities; or as you work with teens by helping them practice English or play sports; or as you provide personal attention and organize creative workshops for elderly residents.
Three hours of service learning activities segue into one of two evening Sociology courses, with Sociology 101 meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays and Sociology 215 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In these classes, you will have a chance to reflect on the day’s service and traveling experiences, which will provide the foundation for class discussions and assignments. Social class, wealth distribution, religious evolution and cultural mixing will be among the numerous topics covered in Dr. Barry and Dr. Ruettgers’s site-relevant sociology courses. Dinners will be your responsibility, but breakfast and a sack lunch will have been provided by your Cuzco homestay family.
Optional Tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas
The first weekend (Aug 10) will feature an optional excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. For $45.00 US participants will have a chance to see the Pisac and Ollantaytombo ruins and the foundation of the Royal Incan Palace at Chincheros. These ruins spread out over several acres and offer the opportunities to explore ancient baths, temples, farms and fortifications. The tour also allows for a visit to an open air market at one of the artisan towns.
Machu Picchu Excursion
The second weekend (Aug 17) highlights the experience of the Incan world with your group’s trip to UNESCO’s World Heritage site of Machu Picchu, filled with stonework so perfect that the cracks between blocks cannot be penetrated the blade of a pen knife. Machu Picchu’s city walls, its terraces built onto the hillsides, and its ramps leading into the center allow the site to blend in both naturally and beautifully into its rocky landscape. All of these architectural achievements are even more impressive considering the temple and its surroundings were built some 500 years ago, when the Incas did not have access to iron, steel, or wheels.
After the final week of Cuzco-based classes, you will celebrate your successful Spanish learning and enjoy one last evening with you homestay family. Students return on the group flight on August 24, arriving in Portland in the afternoon of August 25. During the week after their return, students will finish their sociology courses through online assignments and interactions.
Features of the Trip
The Cuzco, Peru Study Abroad/Service Learning trip includes
Air Fare – Round Trip PDX – Cuzco, Peru
Homestay accommodations for 20 days
Airport-Homestay Transportation
Spanish language course, tailored to your SPAN102 level or higher (Tuition for Oregon credit is not part of the fee. Students should have completed SPAN101 or equivalent prior to departure.)
Sociology 201, Introduction to Sociology; Sociology 215, Social Issues and Social Movements. (Tuition and books are not part of the fee)
Placement in a Service Learning Site
Two one day excursions including tour guides and entrance fees to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
Health and Cancellation Insurance
Includes: Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Trip Delay, Lost or Stolen Baggage, Delayed Baggage, Sickness, Accident, Emergency Evacuation, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment. It also includes 24-hour Travel and Medical Emergency Assistance and Emergency Cash Transfer services.
PRICE $3,720.00* (15 students or more) + COCC tuition
*Airfare included in price, but subject to change until airline booking is confirmed. Also Students must buy an International Student Identification Card/ ISIC at $25.00 to get the group rate airfare.
The Program’s Instructors
Dr. Thomas J. Barry is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Central Oregon Community College. Holding a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas; an M.A. in Speech Communication from California State University; an M.S.W. from the University of Kansas; and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Kansas State University, Tom has taught sociology courses at COCC since 2004. Tom has a passion for examining the interaction between people and the environments in which they live. Understanding historical, social, and cultural forces is essential to self-knowledge and active engagement in making our communities stronger and more democratic.
Dr. Kenneth F. Ruettgers is an instructor of Sociology at Central Oregon Community College.
At COCC since 2009, Ken has his B.S. in Business Administration from the University Southern California; an M.B.A. in Business Administration from California State University at Bakersfield, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the Oxford Graduate School. As a sociologist, Ken is a lifelong student of people and their social interaction within the context of their time, space, and place in history. Seeking to answer social questions is a passionate pursuit of living in community.
The Courses
SOC 201—INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
Provides conceptual tools for analyzing and understanding social forces that shape our lives. The relationships among socialization and social groups, as well as economic, political and religious systems are investigated. In this course, particular attention will be given to (1) integrating foundational sociological concepts and theories with students’ experiences in Cuzco and (2) comparing Peruvian society to the United States. Recommended preparation: WR 121; Credits: 4 Lecture: 4
SOC 215—SOCIAL ISSUES AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
Applies sociological analysis to contemporary issues and movements. Examples include the environmental crisis, race and ethnic relations sexual deviancy, drug abuse, health care and violence. In addition to these topics, the course will explore social issues and social movements particular to South America. Recommended preparation: WR 121, SOC 201 or instructor approval. Credits: 4 Lecture: 4
SPAN102-203—FIRST OR SECOND YEAR SPANISH
Continues the development of reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Select your level based on coursework beyond SPAN101 or a placement test, if necessary.
Questions? Contact your Oregon International Education Consortium Representative:
Sara Henson, Modoc 223, 541-330-4357, shenson@cocc.edu, or
OIEC statewide Coordinator, Jon Bouknight, Pence 223, 541-330-4394, jbouknight@cocc.edu.
Students wishing to apply must download and fill out BOTH the Peru Application Form (4 pages) and the Peru Release and Conduct form (1 page). Both forms are Word Documents. Use back to return to this document