ACM Costa Rica Programs Studies in Latin American Culture

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ACM Costa Rica ProgramsStudies in Latin
American Culture SocietyTropical Field
Research

• Eliza Willis, Ph.D.
• Director

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Map of Costa Rica
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Costa Ricas Biodiversity
Photographs courtesy of Jodi Gaiser
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Species Genetic Diversity
Source Vilma Obando Acuña, Biodiversidad en
Costa Rica estado del conocimiento y gestión,
Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Santo
Domingo de Heredia, 2002, p.14
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Geographic Complexity
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Volcanic Structures

• 290 volcanic structures identified
• 20 fully formed volcanic cones
• Source Guillermo Alvarado Induni, Volcanes de
  Costa Rica, EUNED, San José, 2000, p.1

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Studies in Latin AmericanCulture Society
Fall 2003
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Dates August 23 December 5,
2003 Enrollment 25-30 students Eligibility
Sophomores, juniors and seniors with at least
two years of college Spanish or its equivalent.

• Credit and Grades
• Recommended credit is 16 semester hours or
  the equivalent. Students should consult with
  their campus program advisor or off-campus
  studies officer for their colleges credit and
  grading policies for this program.
• Academic Year Program
• Students may apply for the entire academic
  year, since the fall program provides excellent
  preparation for the spring program, Tropical
  Field Research, in which students conduct
  independent research on topics in the social
  sciences, humanities and natural sciences.

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Orientation and Field Trips

• Cultural orientation is stressed in lectures
  and discussions on topics such as social
  conditions in Latin America, cultural stereotypes
  and the problems of living abroad.

Throughout the semester, the academic program is
complemented by field trips which allow students
to explore the diverse human and physical
geography of the country.
Photo courtesy of Jodi Gaiser
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Spanish Grammar, Conversation and Culture

• Instruction at the ACM center is provided by
  experienced Costa Rican teachers working under
  the direction of Eduardo Estevanovich.
  Instructors rotate among small classes to expose
  students to several native speakers.

Classes meet 17½ hours a week during the first
five weeks of the semester and focus on
comprehension and conversation, Costa Rican
idioms and grammar review. (required, 4 credits)
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Core Course
Students choose between two courses, taught by
local experts, that deal with contemporary issues
in economics, politics, society and conservation.
Recent course titles have included Costa Rican
Democracy Strengths and Contemporary Issues,
Modernity and

• Development in Urban Costa Rica, Neotropical
  Biodiversity and Conservation and Gender and
  Power in Central America An Inquiry into
  Politics, Economics, Culture and Everyday Life.

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• As a central part of the course, during
  weeks 8-15, students undertake a major
  independent study project. Although classes are
  held in Spanish whenever possible, papers and
  conferences with instructors may be in either
  Spanish or English, depending on the students
  preference. (required, 6 credits)

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Introduction to Costa Rica

• This overview of modern Costa Rica features
  discussions of geography, history, religion,
  social life and ethnicity. Readings are drawn
  from literature, and from the social and natural
  sciences.

Taught in Spanish, the course includes field work
in San José and incorporates the rural stay.
(required, 3 credits)
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Rural Stay

• Part way through the program, students leave
  San José and go to live with rural families for
  two weeks. This time in outlying areas leads
  students to rely entirely on Spanish and allows
  them to explore urban and rural contrasts.

Student journals and interviews provide the basis
for an oral report in the Introduction to Costa
Rica course.
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Independent Study Project

• On returning from the rural stay, students
  undertake a major research project related to a
  theme of the Core Course. The project may
  include field investigation, library research and
  interviews in San José. Students generally write
  their research papers in English.

Past projects have included studies of the status
and rights of women in Costa Rican society, the
potential for eco-tourism and the results of the
Arias peace plan.
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Language Electives (choose one)

• Literature of Latin America
• This course introduces students to the
  contemporary literature of the region. Class
  work includes analysis of poetry, fiction and
  drama. Readings are all in Spanish. Costa Rican
  authors meet with the class to discuss their
  work.
• (3 credits)

Advanced Composition in Spanish This course
focuses on improving students writing skills
through emphasizing good exposition, grammar
review and the development of an effective style.
(3 credits)
Advanced Conversation in Spanish The emphasis of
this course is on attaining greater fluency
through work on pronunciation, vocabulary
development and conversational skills. (3 credits)
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Tropical Field Research
Spring 2003
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Dates January 25 May 16, 2003 Enrollment
25-27 students Eligibility Juniors and seniors
with prior course work in the proposed research
discipline and at least one year of college
Spanish (two years strongly recommended).
Students in a rural hospital
Preference is given to students with strong
backgrounds in Spanish and good preparation in
the discipline in which they propose to work.
Familiarity with statistics and field work
methodology is strongly recommended. Sophomores
are sometimes accepted
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• Credit and Grades
• Recommended credit is 16 semester hours or the
  equivalent. (Language Study, 4 credits Field
  Research, 8 credits Research Seminar and Paper,
  4 credits). Students should consult the campus
  program advisor or off-campus studies officer for
  their colleges credit and grading policies for
  this program. The amount and distribution of
  credit should be determined in advance.

Academic Year Program ACMs fall Costa Rica
program, Studies in Latin American Culture and
Society, provides excellent preparation for the
spring research projects. Some students complete
a full year in Costa Rica by attending both
programs.
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Orientation, Language and Culture

• During the four-week orientation in San José,
  students prepare their research proposals and
  take an intensive course combining study of the
  Spanish language and Costa Rican culture.
  Language study continues during the final four
  weeks of the semester.

In the first week of the semester, the students
discuss with the program director and the
academic advisors possible research options. The
director selects advisors for the students with
similar interests and expertise in the specific
fields of interest. Student and advisor then
write a detailed research proposal. Advisors
counsel students on methodology and on the
practical problems of operating in the field.
They also help identify useful resources. A
visit to the field site with the advisor precedes
field work.
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Field Research
Choosing a research topic can be a complicated
process. Students are asked to write about their
research interests in their applications, but
should be aware that the field project they
actually do in Costa Rica depends on the
expertise and availability of faculty and
advisors.
Students spend March and April in the field and
are strongly encouraged to find research sites
outside San José. A month-long period in the city
concludes the semester. During that time,
students complete their research papers in
consultation with their advisors and formally
present the results to the group.
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NATURAL SCIENCES The ecosystems of the tropics
are among the most diverse and complex in the
world. Research topics in tropical biology and
ecology range from regeneration of subalpine
vegetation in mountain regions to habitats of
wildlife species. Students may pursue topics in
environmental chemistry, entomology, marine
biology, botany, herpetology or ornithology.
Geology projects may include studies of Costa
Ricas several active volcanoes.
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SOCIAL SCIENCES In economics, students can
explore such topics as sustainable development,
eco-tourism or debt-for-nature swaps. Social
ecology students might focus on land use in the
Osa peninsula, diversification on small farms or
deforestation. Political science students can
study voting patterns, the dynamics of municipal
government or development of forest legislation.
Sociology projects might examine family planning,
the changing roles of women or educational
patterns. Public health projects might focus on
water pollution or on the cost and availability
of health care in rural areas.
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Guayabo National Monument Photographs courtesy of
Matthew Watson
ARCHAEOLOGY AND CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY Field work
at pre-Columbian sites, carried out in
cooperation with the National Museum of Costa
Rica, includes survey and mapping techniques,
excavation and data recording procedures, and
laboratory analysis. Students interested in
cultural anthropology might work in rural areas
on topics such as the impact of tourism on the
culture of the Bri Bri.
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José León Sánchez, an internationally recognized
Costa Rican author
LITERATURE AND THE ARTS Projects might include
the study of feminist poets or an analysis of
local craft traditions.
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Past Research Projects
Archaeological excavationsScarlet macaw chick
developmentAcidic precipitation at Poás
VolcanoPrimates in the Osa PeninsulaPoetry by
Costa Rican womenContamination of river
waterCosta Rican Bilingual Education
PlanReproductive behavior of damselfishEffects
of tourism on the ceramics industryEffectivenes
s of government health programsEthnobotanical
study of traditional medicinal plant
usageGovernment agricultural development
policies and the small farmerDevelopment,
globalization and the life story of a rural Costa
Rican woman
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Program Alumni
Anne Becher (Carleton) was a student in 1985.
She received her M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics
from the University of Colorado, where she is
currently a Spanish professor. She is co-author
of the popular guide book The New Key to Costa
Rica and co-editor of a bilingual literary
magazine Selvática. She writes reference books
for publisher ABC-Clio.
Christopher Vaughan (Grinnell) participated in
the ACM program in 1969. He later returned to
Costa Rica as a professor of the Universidad
Nacional and has advised ACM students for many
years. He has written widely on different areas
of wildlife conservation in Costa Rica.
Peggy Barlett (Grinnell) was a student on the ACM
program in 1968. Her research focused on rural
health. She is currently an Anthropology
professor at Emory University, with a Ph.D. From
Columbia University. She is the author of
several books focusing on different aspects of
rural life.
Warren Johnson (Oberlin) participated in the ACM
program in 1982 his research focused on small
terrestrial rodents. Dr. Johnson went on to
receive his Ph.D. in Animal Ecology from Iowa
State University. He currently works with the
Laboratory of Genomic Diversity of the National
Cancer Institute.
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Living with a Costa Rican Family

• Both the spring and the fall programs involve
  living with a host family. This is perhaps the
  most popular aspect of the programs.

• The ACM maintains a very close relationship with
  its host families.

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Access to Sports, Recreational and Library
Facilities at the University of Costa Rica

• Students have access to the universitys sports
  facilities (gymnasium, pool, basketball courts)
• Students can join university clubs and teams
  (chess, outdoor activities, basketball, tennis)
• The ACM promotes interaction with university
  students by coordinating visits to English
  classes
• Students receive orientation to facilitate their
  bibliographical research in the universitys
  library system.

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Program Staff
Photos taken by Jessica Haugsland Presentation
design by Judith Magnan
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Associated Colleges of the Midwest Phone
312-263-5000 E-mail acm_at_acm.edu Web
www.acm.edu