Mali: Gender and Development

Location:
 Bamako, Mali

Sponsor:
School for International Training

Program:
A strategic desert crossroads linking the Arab world and sub-Saharan Africa, Mali enjoys a complex and diverse heritage. Its distinctive ethnic groups — including the nomadic Tuaregs, the Dogon cliff dwellers, and the many farming societies settled along the Niger delta — continue to practice their traditional ways of life, rich in indigenous arts, religious expression, and strong community allegiances. Yet, at the same time, modern, democratic Mali is at the forefront of African nations striving to address essential development issues and, with support from the highest level of government, focus on issues relating to gender and family.

With its blend of tribal heritage and Islamic influence, lively cities and mud-walled mosques, Mali provides a fascinating opportunity for you to study the effects of development initiatives on a nation attempting to preserve its unique cultural identity and address gender roles within traditional and modern contexts.

Course Offerings:
This 16-credit program includes the following:

  • Program Orientation: Academic, cross-cultural, health, safety, and program orientation conducted by the Academic Director and other contributors during the first week of the program. Material covered includes program rationale, organization, and logistics; attitudes and tools for immersion in another culture; academic and personal expectations; evaluation methods and criteria.
  • Homestay: Six weeks in Bamako and a one-week village stay. Other accommodations during the program include hostels or small hotels.
  • Intensive Language Study - French: Emphasis on oral, reading, and writing skills through classroom and field instruction. Based on in-country evaluation, including oral proficiency testing, students are placed in intensive intermediate or advanced classes, with further language practice in homestays, lectures, and field visits. In addition, students receive introductory oral Bambara language training.
  • Gender and Development Seminar: An interdisciplinary course conducted primarily in French, with required readings. Lectures and discussions include: Malian Life and Culture; Gender and Development; Village Stay; Educational Excursions.
  • Field Study Seminar: A course in the concepts of learning across cultures and from field experience. Introduction to the Independent Study Project. Material covered includes cross-cultural adaptation and skills building; project selection and refinement; appropriate methodologies; ethics in field study; developing contacts and finding resources; developing skills in observation and interviewing; gathering, organizing, and communicating data; and maintaining a work journal.
  • Independent Study Project: Conducted in Bamako or, by arrangement, in other parts of Mali. Sample topic areas: aspects of democratization in Mali; effects of drought on a Sahelian community; family planning; case study of a development nongovernmental organization (NGO); Islam and gender roles in Muslim society; women's roles in family health care; government- versus community-run schools; ethnolinguistic study of Bambara proverbs and Malian values; feminization of the workplace; traditional healing and birthing practices; role of musicians in society; women-centered development projects.
  • Program Evaluation: Oral and written presentation of the Independent Study Project. Final assessment in language. Overall program synthesis and assessment.

Contact Information:
School for International Training
Kipling Rd., P.O. Box 676
Brattleboro, VT 05302-0676 USA
Phone: 802-258-3212 or 888-272-7881 within the US
Fax: 802-258-3296
E-mail: csa@sit.edu
http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/africa/mali.html