Jamaica Today: People, Culture, and Environment
This winter the Africana Studies Department at UMass Boston offers a program on location in Jamaica.
The program is designed to facilitate an understanding of Jamaica through total immersion in different aspects of the country. The program will explore the culture, environment, language and literature of Jamaica, and the country’s economic, political, and social realities. Activities will include presentations by local experts and visits to significant historical and cultural sites in Jamaica, such as the National Gallery, Bob Marley Museum, Morant Bay, Mooretown, and Maroon Settlement in Accompong Town. Students will have the opportunity to participate in various service activities such as, tutoring at local schools or assisting farmers with their local harvest.
Participants will spend the first two weeks of the program at the University of the West Indies in Kingston and the final week in Treasure Beach in Southern Jamaica where, in addition to attending daily classes, they will work in a field project.
Prior to departure, there will be a preparatory seminar at UMass Boston that will include background lectures and readings designed to give students an introduction to the historical, economic, political, and social context of Jamaica.
Courses and Credit
Participants can earn up to 6 undergraduate credits. All students register for AFRSTY 480, Jamaica Today (Special Topics). Students may elect to earn 3 additional credits by registering for AFRSTY 478, Independent Study. The Independent Study project will be completed upon participants’ return from field study in Jamaica.
Faculty
Professor Marc Prou is Director of Caribbean Studies and a faculty member of the Africana Studies Department. Professor Prou has extensive experience in Caribbean countries and regularly takes study groups abroad to Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba.
Disclaimer
Please be advised that international programs are subject to change, slight or major, at any time due to circumstances beyond our control; this includes any and all fees, dates, itinerary, and program activities. We will do our best to inform all applicants of any changes in as timely a manner as possible.
