Location:

Berlin, Germany; Prague, Czech Republic; Krakow, Poland; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Utrecht, Netherlands

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

Fall Semester

Program Overview

Program Description:

Carleton College, one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, now operates the Women's and Gender Studies in Europe (WGSE) program previously offered by Antioch Education Abroad.

Since 1984, the Comparative Women’s and Gender Studies in Europe (WGSE) program has offered students a unique opportunity to explore feminist and queer theory in practice across Western and East Central Europe. The program examines the trends and dynamics of European social, economic, and political systems as they influence contemporary gender theory, policy, and women’s identities.

Following an orientation to the program, students participate in NOISE, a one-week summer school in WGS co-organized by Utrecht University and Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies. After NOISE, the WGSE participants spend the rest of the semester studying WGS in Utrecht/Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Krakow. Students come face to face with leading theories in WGS and have the opportunity to test their knowledge while working on their independent research projects. Participants attend lectures and take seminars with Director Iveta Jusová, PhD, as well as with NGOs, artists, activists, and professors from affiliated European universities.

A significant aim of the WGSE program is to explore Europe in its diversity and cross-culturally. With this goal in mind, the program takes students to several differently situated European nations while underscoring experiences of women and sexual, ethnic, and religious minorities in these respective national communities. Students learn about the struggles of the Roma women in the Czech Republic, the historical and current day experiences of the citizens of Jewish, Afro-German, and Turkish backgrounds in Germany, as well as about the ways in which Islamophobia bears on Muslim populations across Europe. These topics are addressed both through scholarly inquiry and situated empirical experience throughout the semester, framed through our discussions of post-colonial, feminist, and queer theories.

Setting Description:

The program begins in Utrecht, Netherlands with an orientation both to the academic aspects of the program and to the cross-cultural experience of studying in Europe. Following the orientation, students will participate in a one-week, intensive Network of Interdisciplinary Women’s Studies in Europe (NOISE) Summer School held at Utrecht University with students and faculty from the Netherlands Research School of Gender Studies. The Summer School seminars and readings are integrated into the academic structure of the program’s four courses. Following a four-week stay in Utrecht, the program travels to Berlin, Germany (4 weeks); Prague, Czech Republic (3 weeks); and Krakow, Poland (2 weeks), taking advantage of lectures, site visits, and comparative research opportunities in each program location.

Additional Program Information

Scholarships:

Yes

Scholarships Description:

The scholarship is need-based, and aims to support broader access to study abroad opportunities through Carleton College. In order for the scholarship application to be reviewed, the applicant must have completed a Carleton Global Engagement program app.