Location:

London, United Kingdom

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Summer

Program Overview

Program Description:

Viewed through the lens of long-term history, London is arguably the very greatest of the early modern cities, a place always fabulous and often deadly. It has survived plagues, fire and war, and earned its place over and over as a center of innovation and power. Much of what we now understand about the world today was invented and tested in London, and what happened in this city in the last 1,000 years continues to have profound effects on many parts of modern life – including our culture, economy, technology, politics, health and religion. The emergence of modern London as a built and lived city, its complex class-based society, the rise and fall of disease through its history, technological developments and responses and the emergence of Britain's social and cultural institutions are all in themselves fascinating, and all utterly entwined. Students choose from one of two tracks in either Health, Environment & Technology or Museums and Historic Places.

July 6th - July 28th, 2012. This 6-credit-hour program is based in London, and we spend 23 days exploring London and some of its surroundings. We devote most of our energy to adventures outside the classroom, discovering the past and present of this fascinating city first-hand—visiting museums and exploring the streets, parks, suburbs and palaces. But we also get out of town, and planned day trips include the Roman ruins at Bath, Stonehenge, Hampton Court, Oxford and a trip to an industrial heritage site. Also, on July 27, 2012, students may choose to participate in activities for the opening day of the Olympics. The program assumes no particular background in any field of study and is suitable for undergraduates from a wide range of majors.

Health, Environment &Technology (Track A) This transdisciplinary study abroad program delves headfirst into a hands-on exploration of the complicated and fascinating questions of the inter-relationships between the contemporary city and its environmental, medical, technological and social pasts. Some of the fields we draw on to do this include urban studies, history, anthropology, science and technology studies, geography and human biology. But the program emphasizes the importance of learning from the city itself, and our priority is learning by seeing and experiencing as much as we can. Museums and Historic Places (Track B) London – with its 300 plus museums as well as dozens of monuments, cathedrals, parks, and heritage sites – is one of the world’s richest sources for exploring how cultural meanings are constructed, altered and maintained. Many of London’s most famous museums opened in the 19th century, partly to serve and organize its burgeoning urban population. Historic sites in the city and nearby commemorate English and world historic events and individuals. London still radiates grandeur, and its museums and memorials continue to display and interpret Britain’s art and history, as well as its technological and social innovations. By looking critically at London’s museums and memorials, we can examine how the city and country have understood themselves, how they package themselves for visitors and how their past is preserved while responding to contemporary challenges.