Hispanic Studies at William & Mary

W&M Summer Program in Cadiz, Spain

Program Site Cadiz, founded as Gadir by Phoenician traders in 1100 B.C., is a lovely seaside city (160,000 inhabitants) with a thriving university (25,000 students). Surrounded by the ocean on three sides, the site is ideal for a summer study abroad program. Even when other parts of southern Spain experience high temperatures, the constant sea breezes keep Cadiz comfortable and pleasant. One of the city's three beaches is within a five-minute walk of the university. The historic district (old town) is easily walkable, and students often compare the "small town feel" to a college town like Williamsburg. The city's role in key events of Spain's history (it is the oldest city in western Europe: Hannibal lived here for a while; Julius Ceasar first held public office here; the first Spanish Parliament was convened and the first constitution signed here in 1812), its seat as the capital of the province, and its status as a university town make the community a dynamic and lively one. The people of Cadiz are exceptionally friendly, informal, and talkative, which facilitates the interviews that W&M students often conduct with local informants for their independent research projects.

Curriculum
--All students earn 7 university credits, taught by faculty at the University of Cadiz, the Instituto San Fernando and the W&M Resident Director. All course work is conducted in Spanish.
--All students enroll either in an Advanced Spanish Language course or a Spanish culture course, and a course on the History of Art in Andalucia, all taught by Spanish professors at U of Cadiz. The intensive art history course includes excursions both during and after class hours around the 3,000 year old city of Cadiz to key points of architectural and artistic interest , such as the Museum of Cadiz, featuring Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman and Arabic artifacts; the Roman Theater and ruins; the ancient Barrio Populo residential district; the Museum of the Constitution of Cadiz; and the 17th century fortress of Santa Catalina. The highlight of this course are excursions in the company of the classroom professor to sites of interest elsewhere in southern Spain such as the Alhambra and Cathedral of Granada; or the Royal Alcazar (castle-fortress), and the Cathedral of Sevilla. The professors carefully prepare the students in advance for each upcoming excursion, and design assignments to be completed on-site.
--On-Site Research. Each of student is responsible for developing a detailed research proposal prior to the study abroad experience during a one-credit spring semester course under the supervision of W&M's Resident Director. In Cadiz, the students conduct on-site research for their topic, a project that requires them to develop a relevant bibliography, as well as to gather information from the local community via, for example, scheduled interviews, surveys and polls, direct observation, and informal conversations. During the last week of the program, students present a summary of the project to peers and professor in small groups, and the results of the research, written in Spanish, is turned in at the program's end.

Sample projects for 2003
The Question of Gender in the Carnaval of Cadiz
Political Dissent and the Art of Graffitti
Museum of History: The Public Presentation of the Constitution of Cadiz
Violence in Spanish and US Cinema: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Foreigners, Flamenco, and Cultural 'Authenticity'
Eating Disorders, Female Body Image, and the Spanish Media
(Re) Constructing National Identity: Film and Immigration in Spain
A Cross-Cultural Study of the Presentation of History in Williamsburg and Cadiz
The culture of leisure
Sample of local officials and professionals in Cadiz with whom the W&M conducted in-depth interviews in Spanish for the 2003 projects:
Curators of the "Museum of the First Parliament of Cadiz"
Chairman of the organizing committee for annual Carnival celebration, City Hall Local craftsmen and local poets who work throughout the year to prepare artwork, songs, costumes and build floats for Carnival
Elementary school teachers and students
Flamenco dance teacher
Staff member of the local chapter of the Spanish Red Cross
Chief of Staff of Preventive Medicine; Head of the Department of Health, Nursing and Physical Therapy at the Medical School, University of Cadiz
Staff at the Municipal Foundation for Women
Two directors of community theater group for children
Staff members of the Public Library, Children's Programs
Director of the Office of Tourism
Housing: Students live and eat their meals with Spanish host families, sharing a room with another W&M student.
Excursions: The program starts and ends in Madrid, where students spend several days, with guided tours of two of Spain's most renowned art museums, the Prado Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum, as well as other points of interest around the city.

Dates of 2004 Program: TBA (generally runs the last 10 days of May through the month of June)
Pre-requisite academic requirements at time of application: minimum of Hispanic Studies 202 (4th semester Spanish course); HS 207, 208 or 281 strongly recommended.
Program cost; Application forms and deadline: Applications & program price available in January 2004 from the Global Education Office (Reves Center); application deadline is February 15, 2004. Scholarships are available through the Reves Center, http://www.wm.edu/academics/Reves/rc/student_opportunities_abroad/scholarships

Students accepted for the 2004 program will enroll in one of the sections of the one-credit Spring 2004 course, "W&M in Spain," HS 392 (Wed. 5:00-6:20 or Thurs 3:30-4:50), which begins the last week of February, 2004.

For further information contact Professor Francie Cate-Arries (afcate@wm.edu). For images from last year's program, click here.