Site Location: Havana, Cuba
Cuba is witnessing profound change. The presidencies of Miguel Díaz-Canel (2018-present) and Donald Trump have dramatically redesigned the social, political, and economic reality on the island. This shifting environment positions Cuba as an ideal site to explore issues related to socialism, economic transformation, race relations, gender and sexuality, illicit/informal economies, poverty, food security and environmental risk, and urban challenges and planning as they unfold.
The objective of the Cuba IFP is to provide you with a unique research-oriented experience in which lectures and interactions with your peers from different countries provide you with a more in-depth understanding of global problems at play in a specific context. By studying the emergence of neoliberal practices in an allegedly market-less economy, of class and race disparity in a purportedly classless and post-racial society, and of gender equality in a highly gendered reality, you will acquire a political grammar that will make you a better citizen of your own country.
Due to the pandemic, the summer IFP could be facilitated through virtual arrangements if necessary.
Project and Partner Organizations:
Havana is Cuba’s economic, touristic, and political heart and a place where you will learn as much on the streets as in the classroom and through your involvement with Cuban organizations. Given the many assumptions of people outside, the shifting landscape within, and the need for cultural mediation in between, the project is articulated around three cores. First, you will take classes with leading Cuban intellectuals, providing you with an alternative viewpoint on concepts we question from and against a neoliberal perspective in the United States. Second, you will gain hands-on experience through visits, workshops, and direct engagement with projects run by Cuban NGOs and CBOs. Third, you will have to conceive, execute, and evaluate a research project leading to a publishable paper or other final product (e.g., a documentary film) — this can be an individual or group research project.
Cuban and Foreign NGOs/GONGOS:
Lodging: Life in Cuba is intense. The country is undergoing a profound transformation, and the reality on the ground is changing fast. You have a unique window to observe this change in the making. You will be hosted in a private home (two per room, breakfast included, with air-conditioning).
Program Duration: May 30-August 1, 2021
Faculty: Gabriel Vignoli
Open to: Graduate and undergraduate students from The New School and other universities. Students from outside of The New School should determine how credits will transfer to their home institution.
SGPIA Concentrations: Cities and Social Justice, Development, Media and Culture, Governance and Rights.
Spring 2021 Required Course: Cuba: Critical Concepts
Language Requirement: Knowing Spanish is a plus, but it
is not a precondition for acceptance. If not already fluent, students
are encouraged to take Spanish classes at their home institution (New
School students may audit fall and spring Spanish classes). Students will take Spanish
classes throughout the IFP in Havana, based on the results
of a language test administered upon arrival in Havana.