2018 Honors in Ecuador

Indigenous feminists at the frontline of political protests in 2015.

Overview

Sumak Kawsay: Well-Being, “Race,” and Gender in Ecuador

This program will award 15 credits of Honors core requirements. Other credits are available per departmental approval (GWSS).

Sponsoring Unit: Honors Program, Undergraduate Academic Affairs

Program Dates: July 23 – August 22, 2018 (Summer B term)

Note: All classes taught in English. 

Information Sessions

Nov 28, 3:30pm, Odegaard Interactive Room 141

Jan 10, 3:00 p.m., MGH 206

 

About the Program

Ecuador is one of two countries on Earth that has constitutionally redefined itself as a “plurinational state.” Responding to Indigenous and Afro-descendant social movements for justice and dignity, and propelled by gender equity activists, Ecuador has helped to re-think cultural and national identities by centering the demands of communities most vulnerable to neoliberal policies for the right to sumak kawsay (“buen vivir” or “well-being”).  To do so, Ecuador’s constitution has incorporated the concept of sumak kawsay, an Indigenous perspective of well-being, or “living well” rather than “living better.”  To this end, Ecuador has been at the forefront of recognizing that its patrimonio cultural inmaterial (intangible cultural patrimony), consisting of ancestral “oral traditions and expressions, the performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events as well as traditional craftsmanship” (UNESCO), is of equal importance as its tangible heritage in the form of artifacts, statues, and sites.  This intangible culture is viewed as a remedy to global commodification of culture because deep “understanding of the intangible cultural heritage of different communities helps with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life”(UNESCO).

Given this rich context of Ecuadorian cultural transformation and dialogue, the program will be centered around the concept of sumak kawsay. This course will explore the historical and social context of the buen vivir, with a focus on sustainable culture (specifically Indigenous and Afro-descendant artistic practices and community building — from traditional to hip hop ).  In Quito, students will explore representations of transformative Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultural identities and practices in Ecuador at large and on social media, while examining the intersectional impacts of gender and queer organizing.  The course will explore if and how arts and culture support the development of dialogue and social infrastructure required to be true to a plurinational ethos.

Quito is an excellent venue for the study of culture, politics, neoliberalism, and resistance because of the the city’s history and contemporary condition.  For more than 450 years, the city has been a site of: indigeneity, colonialism, and anti-colonialism; dominant gender formations and resistance to them; African resistance to enslavement and cultural resurgence; global capital and its questioning; and a vibrant and hybrid cultural politics.

Program Credit / Course Descriptions:

Sumak Kawsay: Well-Being, “Race,” and Gender in Ecuador

HONORS 384 (VLPA/I&S) – 3 credits “DIV” and “W”
Prep Seminar, Spring Quarter 2018, Day and time, TBA

The program will include a 3-credit preparatory seminar, spring quarter 2018, which will engage students and faculty in collaboration on campus and through a digital platform (Canvas).  These highly focused seminar meetings (once/week throughout spring quarter) and their digital platform will introduce the students to the course’s structure and topics, as well as Ecuadorian society.  At the end of the course, students will be able to: identify the major cultural, political, and economic changes in northwestern South America during the last three decades; and, identify the major origins and developments of social movements in northwestern South America during the last three decades.

Sumak Kawsay: Well-Being in Theory and Practice in Ecuadorian Society

HONORS 213 (VLPA) – Honors Humanities – 5 Credits “DIV” and “W”

This course, held in Quito, Ecuador, will explore the historical and social contexts of sumak kawsay (or well-being, or, in Spanish, buen vivir, with a focus on sustainable and resistant culture (specifically, Indigenous and Afro-descendant music and community building — from traditional practices to hip hop).  As sumak kawsay has an Andean (indigenous) origin, in Quito, students will explore representations of transformative Indigenous and Afro-descendant cultural identities and practices in Ecuador at large, and on social media, while examining impacts of feminist and queer organizing upon them.  The course will explore if, and how, performing arts and culture support the development of dialogue and social infrastructure required to exist in a state of sumak kawsay.

Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and Feminist/Queer Cultures in Plurinational Ecuador

HONORS 384 (VLPA & I&S) – Honors Interdisciplinary – 5 credits “DIV” and “W”

The course will explore how arts and culture support the concept of “buen vivir” within a plurinational context. This course will explore indigeneity, colonialism, and anti-colonialism; dominant gender formations and transformations of them; African-origin resistance to enslavement and its cultural resurgence; globalization and the questioning of it in Quito.  The city is an excellent venue for the study of culture, politics, neoliberalism, and transformation because of the city’s history and contemporary condition.  As an anchor, we will inquire into the idea of a “plurinational” society. As such, there is a wide array of Indigenous, feminist, queer, and Afro-descendant organizations in the city, such as: Fundación de Estudios, Acción y Participación Social;  Confederación Nacional de Organizaciones Campesinas, Indígenas y Negras; Centro Cultural Afroecuatoriano; Mesa LGBTQI Quito; Femrock Ecuador; and many others.

Connecting with Communities in Ecuador: Service Learning Best Practices

HONORS 384 (VLPA/I&S)- Honors Interdisciplinary – 3 credits “DIV” and “W”

One of the main ways that students will interact with the host cultures is through service-learning.  Service-learning with appropriate and registered NGOs will allow students to link the theoretical with the practical.  To do their service-learning students will select from NGOs that focus on: reinforcing and expanding Indigenous women’s and  Afroecuadorians’ cultural rights; gender equity work; lgbtq (human) rights; and other relevant organizations.  The final project will entail the creation or expansion of a digital presence for the organization in order to make it more accessible and visible to other Ecuadorians and beyond. Students can opt to do oral histories that will be preserved by the UW Libraries’ Women Who Rock Oral History Archive.

Housing

The Jhomana Guesthouse was chosen because of the overall positive experience that UW students reported during summer 2017, as well as its amenities, location, and cost. Students will share rooms (between 2-4 students per room). You may find more information on their website: http://www.jhomana.com/ 

Program Leadership

Directors

Habell-Pallán is currently Associate Professor of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle. She has experience working with international graduate and undergraduate students from Latin America and Asia. She is director of UW Women Who Rock Oral History Archive. mhabellp@uw.edu

Jaime Cardenas Jr., PhD, Seattle Central College, is currently a tenured Instructor of History at Seattle Central College, where he also holds the position of faculty advisor to the Global Studies Emphasis.  He routinely teaches classes that enroll 50-80% international students, mostly from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. cardenas333@gmail.com

Program Expenses

Estimated Program Fee: $4,100 (students do not pay tuition; program fee and concurrent enrollment fee only)

Average round-trip airfare: $1,700

Out of pocket food costs, approximate: $30-40/day

Payment Schedule

Program fees will be posted to your MyUW student account and can be paid the same way that you pay tuition and other fees. Check your MyUW Account periodically for due dates.

Payment Type	Payment Amount	Payment Due Date
Non-Refundable UW Study Abroad Fee	$450	July 6, 2018
Program Fee Balance	$4,100	July 6, 2018
TOTAL FEES CHARGED	$4,550	–

Making the program affordable

Application Process

This program is open to students in the Honors Program and also students across campus. The program is focused on recruiting a diverse group of students, in particular students who are underrepresented in study abroad programs. Students of all majors are encouraged to apply and the program encourages freshmen-seniors. A basic knowledge of Spanish is desirable but not required.

Acceptance into the program will be decided based on application materials, interviews, and student’s demonstrated motivation to challenge themselves intellectually across academic disciplines and cultures and to work collaboratively in small groups.

Apply Now! 

Deadline: January 31, 2018