Gender and Sexuality in Greek Culture
Study Abroad Program in Greece to focus on Gender and Sexuality
For the first time, the College of Arts and Sciences will be offering students the chance to travel to Greece for spring break. It鈥檚 not just any trip though; it鈥檚 a class exploring gender and sexuality called Desire and Democracy: Gender and Sexuality in Greek Culture.
Nick Vasiloff, Education Abroad advisor, said, 鈥淭his type of program will deeply impact students for the better. That鈥檚 why they鈥檙e here, to get a higher education. It鈥檚 not just academic and not just intellectual, but it鈥檚 personal, it鈥檚 spiritual, it鈥檚 emotional.鈥
There has already been an overwhelming interest in the one-credit-hour program. Molly Merryman, coordinator and co-founder of LGBTQ Studies at 性福五月天 and the faculty member leading the trip, said they were expecting 12 to 15 students to attend but have already had more than 35 students apply online.
Students will be traveling to Athens and the Greek island of Lesvos, which has had a history of lesbian tourism since the 1960s. Lesvos is located off the Turkish border, so there has been an influx of Syrian refugees, but Vasiloff said students shouldn鈥檛 worry about their safety.
鈥淲ith the new refugee crisis, I don鈥檛 think it adds any layer of insecurity," Vasiloff said. "It just adds to the importance and relevance for students to go there and study what鈥檚 happening geopolitically.鈥
He added that the tourism rate has not declined since the problems in Syria. Tourism in Greece will also be a topic of discussion because it is the biggest industry in the country.
Greece was the birthplace of the ideas about gender and sexuality.
鈥淵ou can find things that relate in every country, but when you look at its origins, there鈥檚 no better place to explore than Greece,鈥 Merryman said.
Students enrolled in this program will be required to keep a blog throughout their trip. There will be required and optional readings as well.
鈥淚 want to provide enough of a context so people can really appreciate what they鈥檙e seeing,鈥 Merryman said.
The trip will cost students about $3,000 and scholarships will be available.
There will be a fundraising event featuring Susan Stryker, a leader in the LGBTQ community, Tuesday evening at 8:30 p.m. at Laziza. Half of the proceeds from the $50 entrance fee will go to the Gender and Sexuality Global Education Scholarship Fund, which will directly benefit students attending the Greece spring break program.
A three-credit hour course is also offered this spring, called Applied Outreach and Global Understandings in Gender and Sexuality. Students don鈥檛 have to go to Greece to take the class.
To apply or learn more about the Democracy and Desire: Gender and Sexuality in Greek Culture, visit the Office of Global Education at http://www.kent.edu/globaleducation.