This seminar is offered remotely from the Dickinson Center in Bologna, Italy, and aims to encourage students to reflect broadly on their past or future abroad experience.  

Learning in this course will be divided between examination of theoretical concepts (through readings, class discussions, writing assignments) and experiential observation (via remote internships with local organizations). The combination of these two components will provide students with a window onto the workings of the host society.

Through in-class reflection about intercultural issues relevant in today’s Italian society, but also, and especially in our global society (Language and Nonverbal Communication, Gender, Ethnicity and Religion, Multiculturalism or lack thereof, Authority and Hierarchy, Social Constructs), this seminar will provide a rigorous academic context for evaluating and understanding the experiential component of the course. The in-class and out-of-class components will be conducted in Italian, although English may be used in class readings and may be necessary as part of students’ internships.

This course is part of the Dickinson College Globally Integrated Semester offerings whereby students may choose to spend 3 additional weeks in Bologna in summer 2021 and continue their journey of intercultural discovery both in class and in their respective internships.