FCS 522: Study Tour to
Brazil
Department of Family
& Consumer Sciences
karen.blaisure@wmich.edu 269-387-3663
Sessions: Departure to Brazil on April 24 and
Return on May 8, 2005
Pre-requisites:
Students must have applied to and been accepted into the Study Tour prior to January 17, 2005. It is expected that all students will have taken FCS 522: Seminar on Brazil during spring semester 2005.
Course Description:
The Study Tour to Brazil
offers an integrative, international educational experience focused on
reciprocal relationships among individuals, families, and their near
environment. In-country experts at universities, institutes, and
agencies will provide lectures on family relationships, family law, art and
design, architecture, textiles and fashion industry, and education. The
itinerary includes Rio de Janeiro, Ouro Preto, Ribeiro Preto, and So Paulo.
Featured will be visits to government-sponsored medical centers, programs for
youth and families, building sites, museums and galleries, universities,
historical locations, a national park, and family homes. Prior to the Study
Tour, each student will work with the instructor in consultation with a
relevant faculty member in her/his major to plan a substantial project, the
content of which is based on the Study Tour and related to the students major.
The project will be turned in by June 15, 2005.
Goals:
1.
To
broaden students perspectives on the cultures and people of Brazil, South
Americas largest country.
2.
To
gain appreciation for intersection of geography and variety of cultures in the
creation of art, architecture, textiles and fashion, music, and Brazilian
foods; and in the development of educational, medical, and family support
systems.
3.
To
meet Brazilian families and learn how family relationships are influenced by
cultural and economic forces.
4.
To
learn about government-sponsored initiatives to support families and laws governing
family relationships.
5.
To
introduce Brazilian aesthetics and give students exposure to forms of art and
design in architecture and everyday objects.
6.
To
explore textile production from the craft to modern manufacturing.
7.
To
explore the role of food, folklore, music and the arts in establishing,
maintaining and transmitting national and cultural identities
Objectives: Upon completion of the course, students who successfully participate in the Study Tour to Brazil will be able to:
1.
To
label and describe at least
a.
the
work of three Brazilian architects, interior designers, and/or artists;
b.
three
architectural styles found in Brazil;
c.
four
common Brazilian dishes and their nutritional value;
d.
three
types of Brazilian handicrafts, including textiles; and
e.
two
styles of Brazilian music;
f.
three
religions practiced in Brazil;
g.
and
contributions to Brazilian culture of the native peoples, the Africans, the
Portuguese, and the immigrant groups (e.g., Italians, Germans, Japanese).
2.
To
explain the goals and strategies used by the Brazilian government
a.
to reduce hunger and the spread of
HIV/AIDS
b.
to
assist families in poverty; and
c.
to
describe locations where these programs are carried out.
3.
To
describe the daily life of a college student and his/her family.
4.
To
synthesize the Study Tour experiences and knowledge of Brazil in a substantial
project related to the students major.
It is expected that
students will read the following resources prior to departure for Brazil.
Throughout the Study Tour, students will be asked to reflect on what they read
and what they are experiencing.
1. Study Abroad handouts
on culture shock.
2. Poelzl, V. (2002). Culture
Shock-Brazil: A guide to customs and etiquette. Portland, OR: Graphic
Arts Center.
4. Websites (see lists on
subsequent pages of the syllabus)
5. Readings as sent by
email.
Ribeiro, D. (2000). The
Brazilian people: The formation and meaning of Brazil. Gainesville, FL:
University Press of Florida.
Or
Page, J. A. (1995). The
Brazilians.
Reading, MA: Perseus Books.
Schedule
Please refer to the
itinerary for details on each days activities!
Expectations
It is expected that each
student will be open-minded as they meet the people of Brazil and be a
conscientious member of the Study Tour. The success of the Study Tour depends
upon each persons responsible behavior, displayed by, but not limited to, the
following:
Arriving at least 5 minutes early for
any scheduled event
Being willing to try new dishes
Engaging in conversation with
Brazilians and being willing to listen
Being good-natured in the face of a
disappointment
Reporting concerns or problems to the
instructor
Following directions
To successfully complete
the course, students will
–
participate
in scheduled events throughout the Study Tour;
–
interact
respectfully and appropriately with Brazilians and members of the Study Tour;
–
follow
the directions of the instructor, other faculty members, the accompanying
guide, and another other guides/lecturers/person in authority;
–
actively
participate in discussions with nationals and with Study Tour members;
–
maintain
a daily journal with personal reflections (see directions below); and
–
complete
the agreed-on, major-specific project by June 15, 2005 (see directions below).
While on the Study Tour, each student will maintain a daily journal that logs the days activities, foods, interactions, and reactions. It is to focus on descriptions and explanations of experiences, especially those pertaining to the students major. I prefer that the journal be typed, but will accept a legible handwritten copy. If you wish, we can review your journal together on our trip home (please feel free to block out paragraphs or pages from my review to ensure privacy.)
In consultation with an instructor from the relevant major, each student will submit a contract for approval that describes in detail the proposed project. The project must receive approval from the instructor prior to departure. Students are highly encouraged to design a project that benefits them professionally. EXAMPLES of possible projects include
–
Interior
Design or Architecture: photo/video documentary, webpages, or manual/book of
the styles encountered, including name of the designer, description of the
style, and its functionality
–
Art:
photo/video documentary, webpages, or manual/book of the art encountered in
Brazil, including contemporary art and folk art; or mount a show of photographs
–
Textiles:
display at WMU of the textiles found in Brazil, information on their
construction, and demonstration of their use
–
Family
Studies: webpages or paper exploring the issues facing Brazilian families,
taking into account regional and class differences
–
Nutrition/Dietetics:
photo/video documentary or webpages of the cuisine of Brazil, including the
nutritional value of food and the history of daily dishes.
–
Language:
audio/video documentary of the regional differences of spoken Portuguese
Websites
OVERVIEW
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/country_profiles/1227110.stm
Quick facts,
hear national anthem, see flag.
http://t3.preservice.org/T0300722/index.htm
T3 Project designed by
folks at Western Michigan University! http://t3.preservice.org/
is a resources for teachers
http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~agenhtml/agenmc/brazil/brazil.html
Brazil webpage
at Purdue University
ART and DESIGN
A listing of museums,
galleries, and art events in Brazil.
www.universes-in-universe.de/america/bra/e-mus.htm
Museu de Arte Contemporanea
de Niteroi (Museum of Contemporary Art of Niteroi)
www.indigoarts.com/gallery_brazil_prints1.html
Photos and explanations of
woodcuts and milagre (hand-carved wooden representations of parts of the body
healed)
www.alternex.com.br/~mvillalobos/index0.htm
Go to the main page of the
University of Sao Paulo. Click on English and surf some pages to learn more
about Brazils premiere university!
Nutrition Department in
the College of Public Health at the University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo. On Thursday, May 5th, well visit this
department to meet Raquels professors and students in the department.
www.mre.gov.br/cdbrasil/itamaraty/web/ingles/artecult/culinar/apresent/index.htm
www.braziltourism.org/gastronomy.shtml
http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/%7Eagenhtml/agenmc/brazil/recipes.html
Recipes from
folks at Purdue
www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/fellows/brazil1203/
Curitiba on Frontline December 2003
www.pbs.org/newshour/health/global/brazil_economic.html
PBS Onlind
Newshour Brazils response to AIDs
Where family
studies and textiles meet.
The Website
for the Support Group for Aids Prevention in Ribeirao Preto.
Click on
FUNDET (under Administrao Indireta in the left sidebar) to link to PROJETO
ATITUDE where there is information about the project well be learning about in
Ribeiro Preto. Click on fotos to see
photographs of the teenagers that participate in this project. Click on
midia and download three short tv news reports about this program. While you
may not understand what they are saying in Portuguese, you can see some of what
the program is about.
Also, click
on Exposies do Projeto O
Retrato podem ser visitadas na Casa da Cultura e no Marp in the middle of the
page to see the Art Museum in Ribeiro Preto that well be visiting.
Society Live Cazuza www.hiv.org.br
Mission: To
curb HIV/AIDs you need to have courage. You have to have the will/desire to
live and to love. It was this will/desire that made Cazuza an icon of the
struglle to combate AIDs in the final yeas of the 1980s. With a mission to
provide a better life to those with
HIV/AIDs by means of health assistance, education, and (lazer), the
Society Live Cazuza builds opportunities for persons to exercise their rights
as citizens in society.
www.fasm.com.br/
College of Saint Marcelina offers programs in fashion design and interior design, modern art, nursing, administration, music, art education, international relations, and technology in medical radiology. We may be visiting this college to see their fashion design program.
Brazils textile and
apparel industry ranks 7th globally (6th in
yarn/filament/and fibres production; 5th in made articles; and 2nd
in knitwear). Afro-Brazilian textiles to Bahian pottery and delicate lace
tablecloths.
www.maria-brazil.org/weavings.htm
Information and photos of
weavings, rugs, and hammocks
www.maria-brazil.org/laces.htm
Information and photos of
laces
www.brasilemb.org/trade_investment/trade_embaixador_brasil_supply.shtml
Brazilian Embassy in
Washington, DC – page on trade
http://www.tradepartners.gov.uk/textiles/brazil/
http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/en/gr122119e.html
www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu37we/uu37we0a.htm#Textile%20workers'%20households3
Selections
from book Women Encounter Technology (1995) by Swasti Mitter and Sheila
Rowbotham by Routledge in association with the United National University Press
www.cotton.org/events/beltwide/2004bw/anderson-bwc.cfm
Speech on
Brazilian cotton industry (link to listen to speech)
www.fenatec.com.br/2005/index_portugues.asp
Textile
conference February 2005
www.abit.org.br/content/default.asp
Brazilian Textile and
Apparel Industry Association
www.monthlyherald.com/2004_world_haute_couture_and_fas3.htm
Photos from
Sao Paolos fashion show 2004