Mid-Winter Travel Study Opportunity

Traditions and Cultures: Tepoztlán, Mexico

DATES: January 6-14, 2012

LOCATION: Tepoztlán, Mexico

DESCRIPTION: GINTD 6045 with Dr. Nancy Waring

Students in this travel study course, offered in collaboration with the CETLALIC Center for Language and Cultural Exchange, will immerse themselves in the heritage and culture of the small town of Tepoztlán and the surrounding villages. The course blends study of the region's inhabitants, land, and history, with an eye to relations among indigenous/Indian peoples and the larger population of "Mestizos," the descendants of Spanish settlers. Students will gain knowledge of the politics and economic situation of the region, and learn about the area's architecture, art, literature, mythology, and traditional and contemporary medical practices. Home stays enable students to experience Tepoztlán culture within the intimacy of a family setting.

To enhance their learning, and as an integral part of the cultural immersion, students will participate in intensive Spanish language instruction, geared to their current level of proficiency in conversation, reading, and writing. Bilingual home stay families will provide informal opportunities for students to practice speaking Spanish. The program includes local historians, artists, and community activists, as well as expert field guides for excursions to such sites as the birthplace of the mythical Aztec God, the Plumed Serpent Quetzacoatl. Students will explore pre-Columbian culture, including traditions, customs, and arts originating in the pre-Hispanic period and continuing to the present time. Importantly, the language of the Aztec Empire, Nahuatl, continues to endure, and is reflected widely in Aztec art, local topography, the names of Aztec gods, and the name of a major archaeological site, Xochicalco. Students also will become familiar some of the differences and similarities between the U.S. and Mexican cultures, and aware of mutual cross-cultural perceptions and misconceptions, gaining understanding of ways to bridge the gap. Students complete a research project designed to focus on a particular area of interest.

FEES: Includes academic instruction, a double room and board with a local family, Spanish lessons, lectures, professionally guided field trips, museum admissions, and pick up and drop off at Mexico City Airport. (Participants can choose a private room for an additional fee.)

NOTE: The fee does not include air fare to and from Mexico City. (Participants will make flight arrangements to arrive in Mexico City Airport by 3:00 pm, January 6, and to depart no earlier than 12:00 pm, January 14.)

2012 Rates

• Lesley students: Regular program tuition rate plus $1,150 fee
  
• Non-Lesley students: Graduate tuition rate plus $1,150 fee

Faculty Profile

Nancy Waring, Ph.D., is a faculty member in Lesley's Self-Designed Master's Degree Program. In recent years, she has spent time in Mexico, particularly Tepoztlán, focusing on social and cultural issues. Her main research interests are in mindfulness meditation, public health, and the history of western and integrative medicine. She teaches courses in Mindfulness and is the coordinator of Lesley's Mindfulness Studies program.

More Information

• Call 617.349.8818 with questions and to register.
• Also, download the brochure [pdf]