George Mason University: A Passage into Democratic South Africa

Description

This course explores the new democracy of South Africa in the summer season of the Southern Hemisphere. We invite students to go on an academic and experiential journey through the tropical province of KwaZulu-Natal. On the Indian Ocean coast, we will live with Zulu families in urban townships and rural villages, where we will observe infrastructure projects, cultural performances, and traditional rituals. Local historians and district chiefs will introduce students to the challenges of national development after “Mandela’s Miracle” and to legendary stories of Shaka Zulu and his kingdom in sacred Emakhosini, or “Valley of the Kings,” the burial place of Zulu founders. Our group will stay in the “birthplace of peace,” KwaLuthuli, the lineage home of the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961 (Zulu chief Albert Luthuli); and we will visit nearby Mfolozi and Tembe game parks, walking in the landscape of the “Big Five” animals. Our immersion in the natural, social, and political worlds of KwaZulu-Natal will enable us to study the impact of European colonialism and constitutional change on conservation policy, land restitution, and eco-tourism. Finally, we will participate in local education and public health initiatives with the goal of understanding how the lives of ordinary people have changed since the first all-race national elections in 1994.

Cost Explanation

$4,300 $4300 Airfare is *NOT* included.

Additional Information

3 - 6 CREDITS: in African and African American Studies (AAAS 390), Art History (ARTH 399), Anthropology (ANTH 303, 330, 399), Communication, Conflict Resolution, Global Community Health (GCH 494), Government/Public and International Affairs, Honors College, New Century College (NCLC 395), Religion, Sociology (course approvals are in progress when specific course numbers are not listed). Graduate level History credits are available! Please contact Dr. Ben Carton, Faculty Director, or Ms. Erin Mateu, Program Officer, for a copy of the graduate syllabus.