MSASS sponsors spring break courses in the Netherlands
Past student describe the experience “eye
opening” and “life changing”
December 8, 2005
| For more information: Susan Griffith 216-368-1004
Case’s Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences will again offer its “Study
in Amsterdam,” program, March 10-19. “Eye opening,” “engaging” and “a
powerful learning experience” are how undergraduate students have described
a past spring-break experience in the Netherlands.
“Transformational” is what Grover C. Gilmore, dean of the Mandel
School of Applied Social Sciences, has to say about what students see and experience
on their tours throughout Amsterdam, in its public buildings and in meetings
with government officials and social workers and about how the country is driven
by “harm-reduction” public policies in contrast to America’s “law
and order” social mentality.
Following last year’s trip, undergraduate students made the following
comments about their tour to the Netherlands:
“The class in the Netherlands has been one of my most memorable experiences
at Case. It helped me to get a sense of the world.”
Another student said, “I have never been in a course like this one,
and I have found the hands-on experience so much more interesting and informative
than a classroom lecture...It really helped me understand and look critically
at various aspects and policies that we have in the U.S. and see how culture
greatly influences these policies.”
According to Gilmore, up to 45 students will have the opportunity to experience
internationalism in a new light as they view how the Netherlands through its
social policies and leniency towards prostitution, euthanasia and drug use
have taken a radically different approach from many other countries in the
world.
MSASS will offer five, three-credit hour courses during this alternative spring
experience and tap into the internationally recognized expertise of its faculty.
The courses also reflect what makes the Netherlands unique in its approach
to social issues, according to Gilmore.
He will accompany MSASS faculty members and teach the undergraduate seminar
(CRN 52970, SASS 350) with Deborah Jacobson, an assistant professor and also
an expert on women’s health issues.
At the graduate-level, MSASS will offer the following courses:
- “Corrections,” (CRN 52970, SASS 575), led by Mark Fleisher,
the Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Professor and director of the Begun Center for
Violence Research, Prevention and Education. Fleisher’s research
is on prison and prison cultures, with a cultural anthropological focus
to his research.
- “Alcohol
and Drug Abuse,” (CRN 52988, SASS 575) will be team
taught by Mark Singer, professor of social work, and Lenora Kola, associate professor
of social work. Kola has been actively involved with the National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism since 1975 and has developed training in dual diagnosis
for individuals with both addiction and mental health issues. Singer is director
of Case’s Dual Disorders Research Program and co-director of the university’s
Center on Substance Abuse and Mental Illness, who also studies violence
in the media and works closely on social-related issues with local law
enforcement in Cleveland.
- “Health Policy” (CRN 53003, SASS 575)
is under the direction of David B. Miller, associate professor of social
work. His research focuses on urban stress and mental health, violence
and the resiliency of African-American youth.
- “Women’s Health” (CRN 52997, SASS 575) will draw upon
Jacobson’s extensive research and practical and professional experiences
in women’s health issues and support group interventions through
prior work with the Jewish Community Center, the Juvenile Court Services
and Youth Alternatives and her active involvement with the National Association
of Social Workers.
The fee for the 10-day trip is $1,650, which covers airfare, transportation
in the Netherlands, lodging and continental breakfast. Students will stay
in a three-star hotel which is near the museum district and the Leidseplein.
The latter is a popular entertainment area with many restaurants, clubs and
shops. In addition to the cost, students will need a current passport.
After meeting with the faculty leading the course and getting a permit required
for registration, students can register for the experience while signing up
for spring semester courses.
For information about the “Study in Amsterdam” program, contact
Fleisher at mark.fleisher@case.edu or visit http://msass.case.edu/AMSTERDAM.
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
|
