CHINA STUDY ABROAD 2010 - ZHENGZHOU-XI’AN-BEIJING

China Study Abroad 2010Zhengzhou, Xi’an,Beijing May 19 - June 17, 2010

This program is an integrated studies design which offers courses intended to promote cultural understanding through immersion, interaction and study of social and economic changes taking place in China. Classes will include sessions on specific topics related to Chinese cultural and economic changes occurring in this country. There will be tours to places of cultural import including the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Buddhist and ancestor temples, businesses, schools, traditional medicine hospitals, and other areas. Students will be responsible for undergraduate research and will be eligible for an Academic Certificate of Global Citizenship (based on a review of transcript.)

Course Enrollment: IGS 291: Studies in Global Awareness, 3 credits; GLO 298: Special Project – Global Citizenship, 1 credit.Prerequisites: For IGS 291 need ENG 101 or ENG 107; for GLO 298 need permission of program director.Approximate Cost: $3,700

For More Information: Contact Dr. Richard Effland - reffland@mac.com

Faculty leads: Elizabeth Ursic (World Religions) and Richard Effland (Anthropology

http:www.mesacc.edu/anthro/chinastudy/

What You Will Gain

• Greater global awareness

• Experience with research

• Knowledge of Chinese culture

• Global Citizenship Certificate (based on

qualifications)

• Insights in economic and social

changes taking place in China

• Reflection on your own values in

contrast to those of another culture

• Ability to build your resume

• Friendships

• Memories

China Study Abroad - 2010

Why is This Study Abroad Experience Different – Why Should It Matter? Sometimes there are things that we all must consider before we make a choice. If you are looking at different study abroad experiences, I want to share a few ideas about why the China Study Abroad experience is so worthwhile. This program has developed over the years into something that has as a basic philosophy to create meaningful interactions between our students and those in China – this is the heart and soul of the learning process. This is in every respect an exchange in viewpoints from different cultural perspectives. We spend time in Chinese university classrooms for a purpose. While it provides Chinese students with an opportunity to apply their English speaking skills, it is a chance to exchange ideas, life stories, and even dreams of what is in the future. There will be experiences in China that will be memorable. You will stand on the Great Wall and see a temple or two. But the meaningful impact on you will be the interaction and making friendships. You will be in schools, tour factories, shop, walk, eat real Chinese food (and maybe stress out over that) and live within China. In a way it is an experience you will have in China rather than a tourist visit to China. You will earn four credits from two courses. It is important to look beyond just the credits however. This is extremely important when it comes to this program. It is rare to be exposed to actually learning how to perform research. You will explore questions and learn about what is actually going on in China today as you discover answers to these. Research is an inquiry process. While these are not the only questions that can be posed, these are examples of what you might be able to ask while in China:

Genealogy update with a focus on monitoring one-child policy affects to include work on number of siblings over three-generations and adding

attention to sexes of siblings to see if the sex ratio has changed.Assessment of a Chinese business from manufacturing to distribution of finished products. Variety of businesses can be explored in a comparative study or focus can be on one company. Study the educational system in China and focus on testing to move through this system.Explore attitudes toward issues pertaining to the environmental quality created by development in China over the past several decades.Interview students from two cities to explore the changes they have perceived over the past decade. Assess if the changes taking place are parallel or diverse in how cities are developing. Contrasts in city size and distance from places such as Guangzhou might be used for control factors.Explore attitudes relating to sustainability.Explore the impact of living in the most populated part of the largest population on earth. How does this impact mental health and what problems does over-population create?Interview students from different majors to assess their feelings on future job prospects after graduation. Can control for attitude changes from freshmen to seniors to see if these change, as students get closer to graduation.Assess attitudes toward materialism in China as Chinese become more affluent. Analyze the use of ancestor worship and other traditional elements of Chinese religion (defined in an Anthropological perspective.) Explore how these are changing in today’s China.Contrast the use of traditional and modern medicine in China today.Analyze the nature of market strategies for acquiring vegetables, meat and other goods in terms of the distance from the market to the source. Define proportions of this that comes from less than 25 km, less than 50 km, and less than 100 km.

This experience at an undergraduate level will be significant when you begin to work at upper division levels and if you go onto graduate school. It will also be something you can put on your resume that will separate you from other students applying for jobs. In a competitive world you ought to think about how to position yourself so you can get into better graduate programs and get a better job. This is where credits and grades don’t necessarily separate you out from others. You can look at the Academic Certificate of Global Citizenship in the same way. This is something that you may easily qualify for based on the courses you have already taken or would normally take for an AA or transfer to another university. The capstone course you will take for the China Study Abroad program will be that last little thing you would need. So it is ideal to look at this as another way of separating yourself from other people. In a global world, having the certificate will be something that again can impress someone who looks at an application for graduate school or a job. It is something little but can be so valuable. Rick Effland, Program Coordinator