International Programs / Study Abroad

Nogales, Mexico

Borders and Boundaries: Economic Development and Social Justice in Northern Mexico and Southwestern USA

The Study Abroad Program will offer an innovative excursion to the Arizona/Mexico border to explore changes affecting the economic, cultural and religious life of the border region in light of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

 

The problems of social justice and inequality have traditionally been treated as concerns of nation states. With regional and global migration, economic integration, and the growth of transnational cultures, the sanctity of national boundaries must be reconsidered. By examining first hand the impact of national borders on regional inequality and experiencing the conditions, lives and testimonies of border inhabitants, refugees and activists as well as reading emerging theoretical accounts reframing issues of distribution and empowerment in regional/global terms, class members will work to establish workable contemporary guidelines for social justice.

 

In conjunction with BorderLinks, a non-profit, bi-national organization dedicated to creating connections among North American students, church groups, labor, social and ecological activists and their Mexican counterparts, this program provides students with the opportunity to visit the borderlands in order to learn about the complex situation that exists in this unique region. These issues are also examined from the point of view of Mexicans and North Americans involved in Christian base communities that have been part of and contributed to the growth of liberation theology, as well as from the point of view of Native American peoples for whom the creation of a national border in their traditional territory has brought difficult challenges. Visits to several of these communities in Mexico and discussions with their members are the central events of the program.

 

COURSES   

This program is led by Charles Strain, Professor in the Religious Studies department, and Sylvia Escárcega, Assistant Professor in the Latin American Studies department.

 

The trip includes two coordinated courses – REL264/REL291/REL392 and ANT390/GEO201/LST300. Students will register for one course during the Fall quarter and for the other course during the Winter quarter. REL392, ANT390 or LST300 may satisfy the Junior Year Experiential Learning Requirement. REL264 may be used toward the Religious Dimensions: Patterns and Problems Liberal Studies requirement, while REL291 may be used toward Religious Dimensions: Traditions in Context. Also, GEO201 may be used to satisfy the Self, Society, and the Modern World requirement.

 

REL264/REL291/REL392 - Social Justice & Economic Development in Northern Mexico

 

    During visits to several maquiladoras, which are assembly factories along the border, students have the opportunity to discuss social and economic conditions in the region with both workers and management. Because these maquiladoras have been operating under rules similar to those legislated by NAFTA, the economic and social conditions prevailing in the border regions provide a glimpse into the unpleasant realities of multinational trade and economic policies as the peoples of Mexico and the US become economically integrated.

 

    In addition, students meet with groups that focus on the ecological conditions in the border region and the environmental impacts of growing industrialization along the border. Visits to Christian base communities offer an alternative vision of how people working together might be able to shape a more humane future.

 

    Students are required to keep a journal of written reflections while on the program and will participate in a service-learning project after returning to Chicago. This course will be taught by Dr. Strain.

 

LST300 - Border Activism

 

    In this course we will use the Mexican-US border as a space of contestation and negotiation to look at the various ways in which people organize to fight for better living conditions, social justice, human rights, environmental protection, labor issues, sustainable development alternatives, political representation, and gender issues among others. We will also contextualize border activism in a larger context, the creation of transnational advocacy and solidarity networks, and the organization of social fora where social movements, organizations, and grassroots activists meet.

 

Students are encouraged to also register for REL351 Liberation Theology during the Fall 2008 quarter in order to prepare academically for this excursion. Students who have not taken the Liberation Theology course will be given reading material in order to acquaint themselves with the issues to be examined. In addition, students should consider taking ISP 200 Multiculturalism, also offered in Fall 2008, which will focus on Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples.

 

Circumstances, such as an unexpected event abroad or a curriculum change at a host institution, may require DePaul University to make changes to the program. DePaul University reserves the right to cancel or alter programs and courses without notice.

 

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS   

 

Participants are housed in spartan dormitory accommodations while in Tucson. While three meals a day will be provided, students are expected to assist in the preparation of their meals and maintenance of the facilities. Overnight stays at homes in a squatter settlement in Mexico give students a first-hand experience of what a poor family can offer. This is not a pleasure trip and students studying poverty along the border should not expect middle class amenities.

 

EXPENSES   

 

In addition to DePaul tuition for 8 credits, costs include a specific program fee. For updated information on specific program expenses, click here:

For this program, the fee covers round trip airfare from Chicago to Arizona, insurance, local transportation, accommodations, three meals per day, and visits to local cultural sites. Students must register for 8 credits, four credits in the Fall quarter and four credits in the Winter quarter.

 

Participants must plan their budgets to cover textbooks, passport fees, supplies, and personal expenses. Students wishing to extend their stay in Arizona may do so at their own expense.

 

Program fees are based on actual costs of the prior year and projections for the current year. Inflation and fluctuating exchange rates make it impossible to state a fixed cost. DePaul University reserves the right to adjust program fees without notice.

APPLICATION   

 

To apply to this DePaul Study Abroad Program, students must submit the following:

 

    • A completed DePaul Study Abroad Program application form

    • Two (2) recommendation forms from faculty familiar with your academic work.

    • A copy of the DePaul Unofficial Transcript.  This may be found on Campus Connect in the Students section under Records and Registration.

    • A digital photo uploaded into the application.

 

DePaul University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or handicap in admissions, employment or the provision of services. Inquiries regarding this policy should be addressed to the Director of Human Resources, 1 E. Jackson Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60604.

 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 15