DukeImmerse: Uprooted/ Rerouted

 
Four courses. Four weeks abroad. One theme. One semester.

Think of Uprooted/Rerouted as Focus on steroids: a semester-long, research-based, student-faculty collaboration on a single theme–forced migration–plus a weekly dinner meeting and a four-week mid-semester field trip to Nepal or Egypt (watch a video of students in the 2012 program performing monologues of refugee experiences).

Uprooted/Rerouted strives to understand the contemporary dynamics of displacement and the challenges it poses. It aims to offer concrete research-based interventions to address both the causes and consequences of displacement. Duke students and faculty will collaborate both with refugee communities and international, national and local NGOs working with these communities. Working from a variety of methodological, theoretical, disciplinary and political perspectives, participants will address a single research question: how does displacement affect the well-being and the social identity of those displaced?

Uprooted/Rerouted will involve a systematic comparison of Bhutanese and Iraqi refugees, two of the three groups the U.S. State Department and Office of Homeland Security have specially targeted for resettlement, and the two fastest growing refugee populations in Durham and surrounding areas. These two communities also make for interesting comparison. The Bhutanese were expelled from Bhutan two decades ago, lived in poverty in refugee camps, are largely illiterate, mostly don’t speak English, mostly come from agricultural backgrounds, and tend to convert from Hinduism to Christianity just before or after resettlement. The Iraqis left only recently, spent little or no time in refugee camps, are solidly middle-class, highly educated professionals, speak fluent English, and don’t tend to convert. How do these factors affect the likelihood of successful resettlement?

Courses include

  • Global Migration and Ethics (Ethics/CulAnth.):

     An overview of current scholarship on the anthropology of global migration, and the key ethical predicaments at the center of contemporary forms of human mobility. Featuring an anthropological examination of current debates drawing on ethnographic texts, legal and policy materials, biography, literature and film. Areas of Knowledge: CZ, SS. Modes of Inquiry: EI. Meeting time TBD.

    Field Ethics (Ethics):

    An introduction to methods of social scientific field research, including principles of research design, particularly surveys and interviews, with a substantial focus on data analysis and interpretation. Students will also learn a variety of visual methods, including mapping and photo elicitation. Emphasis on the ethics of research design, implementation, and presentation and ethics of research with vulnerable populations. Areas of Knowledge: SS, ALP. Modes of Inquiry: EI, R, W. Meeting time TBD.

    Displacement and Global Health (Ethics/Global Health/CulAnth):

    A discussion of the health consequences of global displacement, including nutrition, mental health and lifestyle diseases, with a focus on social/community impacts and policy solutions. Particular attention will be paid to the ethics of asylum and the extent to which refugees are actually afforded the physical and mental health protection and support they need. Areas of Knowledge: SS. Modes of Inquiry: CCI, EI. Meeting time TBD.

    Refugee Policies and Practice (Ethics/ICS/PolSci):

    An exploration of the policies and practices affecting refugees. Particular attention will be paid to Bhutanese refugees of Nepali descent, and to refugees resettled in Durham. Involves fieldwork and community engagement activities—this is a service learning course. Areas of Knowledge: SS. Modes of Inquiry: CCI, EI. Meeting time TBD.

 

 

STUDENT PARTICIPANTS FOR 2013:

Leena El-Sadek is a sophomore from Terry, Mississippi. She plans to do an interdisciplinary major in Global Health and Biology with a minor in Cultural Anthropology. Her passions include the Deep South, the Middle East, language, education, understanding the world, running, and seasonal ice cream flavors.

Jack Stanovsek is a freshman from Kitty Hawk, NC.  He is planning to major in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Biology.  Jack lived in Melbourne, Australia before North Carolina and plans on returning there after Duke.

Alexa Barrett is a sophomore from Southampton, NY. She is an International Comparative Studies major with an ISIS and Arts of the Moving Image Certificate. Alexa loves filmmaking, salsa, and sharing tea with friends.

Lexy Steinhilber is a sophomore from Los Altos, CA. She is planning to major in International Comparative Studies with a minor in Cultural Anthropology. Lexy’s hobbies include hiking, reading, tutoring, and swimming.

Leah Catotti is a sophomore from Durham, NC.  She is planning to major in Cultural Anthropology with a certificate in Global Health. Leah dances, works for the Duke Sustainability Department, and gives tours around campus.

Max Ramseyer is a sophomore originally from Paris, France. He is leaning toward a major in Public Policy, Sociology, or Political Science, with a minor in Music. He enjoys playing basketball and playing piano.

Ciera Echols is a sophomore from Marietta, GA. She is planning to double major in International Comparative Studies and Arabic. Ciera’s hobbies include: helping those in the community, learning new things, and  playing sports.

Caroline Marschilok is a junior from Rochester, NY. She majors in Public Policy and minors in history, with an Ethics Certificate. Caroline studied abroad in Scotland last semester in the Duke in Glasgow program.

Dechen Lama is a sophomore from Raleigh, North Carolina, who was born in Thailand and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is pursuing a Public Policy major, Global Health Certificate, and Spanish minor. She is excited to study contemporary refugee dynamics because the Tibetan refugee situation is an important part of her own personal narrative.

Maura Guyler is a freshman from Marlboro, NJ. She is planning on majoring in Public Policy and ICS, with a minor in Arabic. She is passionate about international development and human rights.

Christine Delp is sophomore from Fuquay-Varina, NC who plans to major in Program II: Ethics and Documentary Studies. Christine’s hobbies include writing, filmmaking, and traveling.

Nikita Yogesh is a sophomore studying Art History and Evolutionary Anthropology. She is passionate about animal rights and fine art, and her hobbies include finding the perfect tofu scramble and spending time with her cats and foster dog.

 

Contact Professor Suzanne Shanahan with any additional questions.

DukeImmerse is a partnership between the Office of Undergraduate Education and the Kenan Institute for Ethics.