BCLA Global Immersion Courses

Immersion to: Ghana (Accra, Cape Coast, and Kumasi)
Trip Dates: May 8 - 19, 2023
Course Meeting Times: TR 3:40 - 5:20 PM
Professors: Cheryl Grills and Deanna Cooke
Prerequisites: An interview with faculty is required for registration.
Lab Fee: $3,850
Financial assistance available

Course Description: This course challenges students to critically analyze their current understanding of Africa and its people, their perception of the value of African culture and the relevance of the paradigm of Western psychology. Students will be exposed to indigenous African knowledge in philosophy, psychology, medicine, spirituality, and history. Students will use these frames to interrogate how Black people globally are portrayed (often negatively), how they are erased from the discourse in these disciplines, and how an African-centered perspective counters the long-standing and dominant narrative of Black inferiority. To accomplish this, the course focuses on three main themes: 1) a holistic African Worldview and understanding of psychology; 2) the history and ongoing consequences of the TransAtlantic trafficking of enslaved Africans; and 3) understanding indigenous African (Akan) culture and African and diasporan African cultural retentions. In regard to each of these, students will explore the connections between Ghana and African descended people across the Diaspora.

Course Learning Goals:

1. Understanding of the connections between Ghanaian history, worldview, spirituality and psychology
2. Ability to critically analyze the connections and differences between African psychology and western psychology
3. Ability to apply Ghanaian history (inclusive of indigenous history and the Trans-Atlantic human trade), worldview and psychology to contemporary experiences of people of African descent. 

Questions? Email: Deanna.Cooke@lmu.edu 

Immersion to: Mexico (Mexico City)
Trip Dates: June 10 - 17, 2023
Course Meeting Times: T 3:40 - 5:20 PM
Professor: Fernando Guerra
Prerequisites: Consent of Instructor
Flags: Engaged Learning
Lab Fee: Donor Funded

Course Description: The aim of the course is to compare the cities of Los Angeles and Mexico City from a variety of scholarly disciplines and perspectives. This course will focus on the connections between Los Angeles and Mexico City, which include the analysis of the shared political, economic, and social futures of both cities. Emphasis will be placed on the mutual implications, issues and topics such as the environment, transportation, land use, emergency preparedness, and challenges to governance that affect these mega cities. Students will consider a variety of scholarly disciplines and perspectives with an emphasis on field research performed in Los Angeles and Mexico City.

Questions? Email Jorge Cortes at Jorge.cortes@lmu.edu.

Immersion to: Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
Trip Dates: February 24 - March 4, 2023
Course Meeting Times: T 3:40 - 7:00 PM
Professors: Máire Ford and Jennifer Ramos
Prerequisites: N/A
Core: Interdisciplinary Connections
Flags: Engaged Learning
Lab Fee: $2,200
Financial assistance available

Course Description: In this class, students explore multiple factors contributing to conflict, de-escalation, resolution, and creation/maintenance of a sustainable peace in societies with a noted recent history of conflict. Particular attention will be paid to understanding the challenges to peace from psychological and political perspectives. We first interrogate why conflict exists from multiple levels of analysis (interpersonal, intergroup, and international) and theoretical approaches. We then explore ways to resolve, manage, and control conflict by analyzing case studies of negotiation and reconciliation. The first case study will be Northern Ireland. Students will explore the Northern Ireland situation in depth by travelling to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland over spring break to learn first-hand about the reconciliation process from politicians, poets, peace builders, researchers, and religious leaders. Thus, students will move beyond the classroom setting to apply what they have learned in class and also to expand upon what they have learned. Following this, we compare and contrast Northern Ireland to other post-conflict situations, including South Africa, Sierra Leone, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Cambodia.

Mandatory travel involved: Trip to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during spring break 2023

Immersion to: Greece (Athens)
Trip Dates: February 25 - March 5, 2023
Course Meeting Times: TR 1:45 - 3:25 PM
Professor: Christina Bogdanou
Prerequisites: N/A
Core: Creative Experience
Lab Fee: $2,130
Financial assistance available

Course Description: This multidisciplinary course will explore Greek theater, from its ancient Greek origins to its modern reincarnations. During a week-long immersion workshop in Athens, students will get acquainted with theatrical Athens and trace its rich theatrical history as the birthplace of Western drama. Through a series of visits, lectures, backstage tours and meetings with artists, students will discuss topics like creating theatre then and now, popular forms of theatre and everyday life as a source of inspiration. Students will participate in collaborative writing and staging projects while engaging with sources that have inspired modern theatre and performance to morph, rebel, and innovate.