Are you looking for a fascinating and meaningful way to fulfill your COR requirement and learn more about Latin America? Edgewood College offers this 2-semester seminar on the history, politics and culture of El Salvador today, centered around a January 2021 visit to Madison’s sister city of Arcatao in northern El Salvador.

OPEN TO ALL MAJORS- Knowledge of Spanish is NOT a requirement.

Course Information:
Students must enroll in GS 380 Fall 2020, 2 credits and GS 381 2G Spring 2021, 2 credits

The aim of the course is to increase awareness about El Salvador today, U.S.-Central America relations, the plight of underdevelopment and poverty that afflicts the country, the situation of the rural poor and, in particular, the importance of solidarity and sistering as a tool for education and international cooperation. We look at the country from a variety of perspectives, and all students can find an approach to match their interests.

The course is taught in English and features a variety of guest lecturers, cultural activities, readings, videos, and student presentations. While the course is a great fit for students of Spanish, with abundant opportunities to practice the language, it is also relevant to a broad cross-section of majors in Social Sciences, Humanities, Nursing, Education and Business. Indeed, anyone can benefit from this interdisciplinary learning opportunity.

During the course, students will have an opportunity to learn about and participate in two healthcare projects in El Salvador.

The first project is coordinated by Dr. David Rosenthal, a professor in the Rehabilitation Psychology Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and former Dean of the School of Education. The project focuses on the psychological impact of war and reconstruction on Salvadoran society, with emphasis on PTSD treatment. The project uses innovative treatment modalities, including community platforms for story-telling and discussion of the war, and activities such as trauma informed yoga and other movement based activities.

The second medical project addresses the recent surge of kidney disease in sugarcane workers. There is an epidemic of kidney disease and death among young workers in Salvadoran sugar cane fields who have no history of hypertension or diabetes, the usual precursors of the disease. During the first semester, a nephrologist from the Salvadoran Ministry of Health, Dr. Carlos Orantes, will come to Madison to discuss the situation in an event that will be co-sponsored by several departments at UW Madison. “


Faculty:
The course is taught by Ian Davies (Edgewood Spanish), Marc Rosenthal (Edgewood COR program).

Ian has taught at Edgewood since 1995 and has traveled with students many times to El Salvador. Beyond his obvious interest in Spanish language, he has a particular interest in the intersections of history, culture and politics in Latin America.

Marc Rosenthal is a former emergency room R.N. with a long history of working with global health projects. As a longtime activist in the Madison community, Marc brings a wealth of experience and knowledge on Central American issues and U.S. foreign policy, in addition to his extensive background in health care.