I teach several courses in the field of Comparative Politics where first-hand knowledge of the Argentine case will be extremely useful. Among the courses that I teach are “Women, Gender, and Globalization,” “Latin American Politics,” “Politics of Developing Areas,” and “Comparative Public Policy.” All of these courses include case studies from various areas around the world. This Fulbright experience will enable me to gather materials -such as information on primary sources, interviews with activists and scholars, photographs, and other ancillary material – to strengthen my case studies. Since most of the students in my classes are not able to participate in study abroad programs due to financial/family obligations, developing a virtual case study will be the best way to have them experience a different culture and be exposed to different perspectives. In addition, I hope to use this experience to establish contacts with Argentine scholars and practitioners. This will enrich my students’ research projects.
I am very interested in learning more from local historians, artists, and other experts. In addition, the visits to libraries and repositories where I can find material to develop new case studies and enrich the classes will be invaluable. Exchanging ideas not only with local researchers and practitioners but also with high school teachers who are interested in the topic will help me as I incorporate new teaching techniques and approaches. Argentina’s rich history of socio-political mobilization will provide ample opportunity to learn from participants, particularly women, who were instrumental in organizing and leading some of those social movements.
The following are the deliverables that I am proposing for this experience:
- Develop new case studies for each one of my classes: the case studies will incorporate information from primary sources that I find and also from interviews, local media, and any lectures that we can attend. I plan to take many photographs and if possible tape some videos to set a more realistic stage for the case studies
- Develop an event for next year’s International Week at UCF where the study abroad experience is showcased to create greater awareness of study abroad programs and of the benefits that they accrue.
- I plan to write an article based on this experience to highlight the pedagogical value of study abroad programs such as this for both students and faculty. The paper will be presented at the Southeastern Conference for Latin American Studies and at the Florida Political Science Association conference.
- Compile a list of researchers, practitioners, and others to serve as a point of contact for my students as they engage in their own research projects. Meeting people in person is much more productive when setting up these types of relationships so this will be an invaluable experience to establish collaboration between my students and Argentine students and scholars.
- Set up virtual speaker events where Argentine scholars and practitioners can present their research and/or experiences to students in my classes who are not able to participate in study abroad programs.
- Set up a collaborative module in my “Women, Gender, and Globalization” class where my students and students in an Argentine colleague’s class can collaborate. In particular, I am interested in the topic of femicide and women’s strategies to address that issue. I have several colleagues in other departments that are also interested in participating in this type of module. Thus, my module can be used as a template for other faculty members.
- Develop a video travelogue that can be posted on our SPSIA website.
Annabelle Conroy 