Study Abroad in Argentina

Universidad de Belgrano

Buenos Aires
 
 

Semester or Academic Year

The growing importance of Argentina in the global economy has been enhanced by its membership in the Mercosur common market of South America's Southern Cone. An important producer of foodstuff, the country boasted one of the world's largest economies from the 1880s until the post-World War II period. An import substitution industrialization triggered by the US and European depression of the 1930s, then coupled with the war economies of the nations participating in World War II, necessitated protectionist policies to survive after the war was over. This protectionism lasted from the time of Juan Domingo Perón's first administration (1946-1952) until the start of former President Menem's first term (1990-1996). Although they were instrumental in diversifying Argentina's economy, protectionist policies have had serious structural ramifications that prevented the improvement of technological and productivity increases. In the end, a very serious hyperinflation brought down the frustrated administration of President Alfonsín -- the first democratically elected president after the sad state terrorism staged by military juntas that are commonly referred to as the years of the dirty war or El Proceso. The irony was that it took a Peronista president (Menem) to undo the protectionist policies, to deregulate the economy, to privatize the utilities, railroads, telecommunications, and all other economic infrastructure nationalized by Perón in the late 1940s.

Despite recent economic concerns, Argentina has regained the importance it enjoyed in the pre-War period. Both as an emergent financial market and as the target of foreign direct investments, telecommunications as well as transportation traffic between the United States and Argentina have grown at an unheard of pace. World bankers concentrate their efforts in Argentina and the Mercosur region. And their employers have been paying for language instruction. Once considered an odd, bastardized Spanish, the language colloquially used in Argentina is now regarded as necessary by those intent on trading with this region.

The Academic Program

This program is intended for students at all levels of Spanish language ability (none to advanced). Those with none to intermediate level (or even advanced), will combine a four-week super-intensive Spanish language course, followed by a semester-long program based on three courses, taught in English, on different aspects of Argentine and Latin American history, literature, media and politics. During the regular semester, an additional Spanish language course, taught at a normal pace, will strengthen the language acquired during the first four weeks.

Students with enough Spanish language ability will enroll in a combined four-week superintensive Spanish language course, followed by a semester of studies. This 20-week program is based on special courses (taught in Spanish for non-native-speakers) which focus on political and economic history of Latin America, Latin American and Argentine Literature, Argentine art and culture. Students taking all their courses in Spanish willalso benefit from a semester-long Spanish language course. 

Students willing to stay in Buenos Aires for a full academic year -and whose Spanish is just rudimentary when they first arrive- will be able to take up a full load of courses taught in Spanish during the second semester. After the first four weeks of intensive language, the further exposure to Spanish during the rest of the first semester, plus a four-week super-intensive Spanish language course before the second regular semester starts should allow students to take full advantage of special courses taught in Spanish. 

Students who are very fluent in Spanish will also have the option of taking regular courses with Universidad de Belgrano students. With all its variants, this program is intended for students who wish to learn or improve their Spanish ability considerably, and who wish to take liberal arts courses to learn about Latin America and the Southern Cone region. 

Students majoring in the humanities, social sciences, the arts, architecture, and business will find this program academically attractive.
 
 

Spanish language instruction at Beginner's, Intermediate I, Intermediate II and Advanced levels. Instruction is entirely in Spanish. International students taking these courses come from different linguistic backgrounds (not only English). The goal of the four-level program is to make it possible for international students to express themselves with a fluency and grammatical correctness close enough to the one they possess in their first language. To this end, the purpose of the program is that a student stays away from a mere, literal translation of their thoughts in the first language.
 
 

Comparative History of Argentina and Latin America: 

Formation and evolution of the Argentine and Latin American societies through a comparative approach, since the crises of Independence up to the present. Analysis of the confluence of the complex ethnic and cultural components of the regional societies. Analysis of typical Latin American institutions (caudillismo), the development of democracy throughout the second half of the 20th Century (3 credits)

Literature, Arts and Media: Critics and Mirror of Social Changes: Immersion into the rich, dynamic world of the Argentine and Latin American cultures. sensing the close link between the literature, the arts, journalism and modern media and the strengthening of civil society in the continent. The commitment of intellectuals and artists to Latin American revolutions, the novelists of realismo mágico, the brave journalists in a violent reality, the rich school of film and video directors and their influence on the perception of reality in Argentine and Latin American modern societies. (3 credits)

Political and Social Changes on Latin American Society: This course concentrates on the dynamics of social and political change and the building of citizenship in Argentina and Latin America, with special references to cases such as Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay. Comparative description of political systems, political parties, and social movements. Analysis of processes of breakdown of democracy, military dictatorships, transitions to democratic rule, and more recent democratic consolidation. Quality of citizenship and democratic institutions. (3 credits)

Argentine and Latin American Economy: The course deals with the most important periods of the Argentine economic evolution. Argentine economy before 1930 - quantitative data on economic growth and structure. The economy after 1930 - the external terms of exchange. Structural changes and the process of industrialization. Import substitution industrialization. Relative prices and capital formation. Economic cycles. Foreign currency shortages. Inflation in Argentina. Dynamics of devaluations, recessions and stabilization programs. the hyperinflation. the Plan de Convertibilidad. Recent trends on inflation, economic growth, and unemployment. (3 credits)

Review of the Political and Social Evolution of Argentina:
Historical background. Brief analysis of the colonial and independence periods. The national organization, territorial integration, and immigration period. The 20th century: the patrician        republic, the popular republic and the republic of masses. The institutional crisis years and the institutional recovery. Economic reforms. Constitutional reform; analysis of the 1994 Constitution. Detailed depiction of the current social, economic, and political situation.  The main current political actors. The course includes: required and recommended readings, a student project on the printed media , documentaries and field research.

Argentine Political Ideas and Parties:
Origin and development of the Argentina political parties. The early political groupings. Elections and campaigns during the 119th Century. Political trends during the Republic’s modernization. Political centralism and electoral fraud. The first political parties: the Radical Civil Union, the National Autonomist Party, the Socialist Party. Electoral alliances and party breakups of the 20th Century. The emergence of Peronism. Trade unionism. Developmentalism. The military governments. Democracy’s return. Resurgence of neo-liberal ideas. The Alianza and the staggered sequence of Peronist and Radical access to power. The third way, neoliberalism, and the new role of the State as central themes at the start of the new millenium.

History of Latin American during the 19th and 20th Centuries:
Analysis of the main historic events in Latin America and Argentina, starting with the independence from Spain (early 19th Century); followed by the period of national organization and socio-economic and political consolidation of the new republics ( 19th Century and early of the 20th Century); emphasizing the present situation and their opportunities  for 21st Century. Comparative analysis of socio-political events in Latin American countries during those historical periods (e.g.:Vargas in Brazil, Arbenz in Guatemala, Perón in Argentina, during the 1940s and 1950s). Independence period founding fathers and their political ideas. The main political figures of the Region in subsequent periods. Emergence and development of the main  social and political institutions (regional “caudillos” of last century and of the main politicians of today). Causes and effects of the military interventions in various Latin American countries. The democratic recovery in recent decades. The course ends with an analysis of the political system during the cold post-war (1989-1999).

Comparative Latin American Political Systems:
The 1960s developmentalist policies. Development and democracy. The problem of development in Latin America. The 1970s authoritarian regimes. Corporativism attempts: suspension of the institutions of political society and its metamorphosis. The third wave of democratization: internal and external factors. Parliamentarism vs. presidentialism. Institutional design and governability. Redefining democracy to adapt it to the new century: adding economic, social, and cultural dimensions to the concept. The future of democracy and capitalism in Latin America.

Argentina and Latin America vis-à-vis Economic Globalization:
Analysis of international economic relations, emphasizing the local context (Argentina) and the regional one (Latin American countries). Internal and external factors in the less developed countries’ economies – both generally and in Latin America. Current situation and future prospects in the globalized economy (individualism vs. community orientation). General principles of economic integration and planning for socio-economic development in Latin American. First and second generation of Latin American counties’ economic integration. Typology, strategies, and structure of the economic development planning process. Principal second generation processes in Latin America 9MERCOSUR, AC-4, G-3, NAFTA, future ALCA). Relatoins between MERCOSUR and other relevant world alliances (EU, NAFTA, PACIFIC RIM). Additional topics include: education for development; human resources training; technological transfer; economy and environmental issues; future of the international economic relations for the Latin American countries, in the context of globalization.

Economic History of Argentina:
The agricultural export model and the role of the “generation of 1880.” Adjustments to the model. the national banking system and non-convertibility. World War I and the Argentine economy. Import substitution industrialization. The world crisis of 1930 and economic and its financial repercussions in Argentina. The concordancia project. World War II and the Argentine economy. Perón’s first administration and the role of the State. The new crisis.  The developmentalist model at the national and international level. Economic features of the military regimes and the second Pernista administration. Role of the international credit institutions in the 1960s and 1970s. Economic project of the 1976-1983 military regime. Democratic transition. The Austral and Spring plans. Convertibility plan. Prospects for the 21st Century.

Argentine Economic Policy:
The beginnings. Animal husbandry. Regional inequality. Institutional integration and the growth of the agricultural export model. The world crisis and its impact on the latter. Closing-up of the economy and emergence of regulatory agencies. Rural-urban migration and import substitution industrialization (ISI). Growth of agricultural consumption leading to a slowdown of agricultural exports: postwar complications to this model. The crisis of 1952. Complications of ISI. Basic and technologically advanced industries. Ideas of the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA). Role of ALALC (Latin American Association of Free Trade) and ALADI. Structuralism and development planning in the 1960s. Institutional upheaval; adjustment plan of 1967-1970. The oil crisis, income distribution conflicts and cost-inflation. Fiscal deficit and monetary inflation. The end of the promoting State. Post ISI. External debt crisis. Inflationary crisis. Heterodox adjustment plan. Crisis of the heterodox model. Hyperinflation. The comeback of the orthodox economy. Convertibility. Current economic policy proposals: economic deregulation and privatization. Damages to the health amd education sectors, and the pension system.

Argentine and Spanish American Literature (from 17th Century to 19th Century):
Alternative identities of Latin American literature. Short stories, essays, poetry, and theater. Methods of text analysis. Colonial literature and culture in the 17th Century (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz). Spanish American literature during the Independence wars (Vicente López y Planes). Brief history of the short story in Argentina. Esteban Echeverría’s work. Essays: towards a theory of essays. Sarmiento’s work. Poetry. Differences between popular and erudite poetry. The “gauchesca” poetry in José Hernández’s Martín Fierro. Towards a theory of theater. Dramatic text and spectacular text. Analysis of Juan Moreira by Eduardo Gutiérrez and José Podestá.

Argentine and Spanish American Literature II (20th Century):
Areas of study: short story, essays, poetry and theater. Methods of text analysis. Towards a theory of the short story. The work of Jorge Luis Borges. The short story according to its tellers (Horacio Quiroga and Julio Cortázar). The novel. Roberto Arlt’s work. Poetry. Differences between popular and erudite poetry. Analysis of selected tango lyrics. Poetry analysis. Introduction to contemporary theater. Dramatic and spectacular text. Authors: Cossa and Pavlovsky.

Argentina: Open Society:
The social and political situation during the 1880 generation. Expanding frontiers: Roca and the desert campaign. The Argentine population. Immigration and its impact. Shaping modern Argentina. From a limited democracy to a widened participation. Irigoyen and political participation. The 1930 crisis and military power. Social classes. Peronista populism. Political parties and social classes. Social and political situation during the military regimes. Democratic comeback. Structural changes in recent decades. Modernization, social cost, marginality and poverty.

The Media in Latin America:
Comparing journalism in Latin America, Europe and the United States. Media’s agenda. Media magnitude. Freedom of the press. Brief history of Argentine journalism. Analysis of the Argentine print media. How to read an Argentine newspaper: critical vision (contrasting what the media print and that what is lived by the students in their daily lives).  Competition between the print and electronic media. The declining readership of newspapers and magazines. TV’s leading role. Multimedia and their influence in the media agenda. How the news are born and how the news die. Rumor as news source. Investigating journalism. The post television era. Internet and globalization. Hyper-information vs. selective search in hypermedia. Marketing, consumption, and information. Transformations in Latin America.

Contemporary Argentine Art:
Its origin and historical development. the 19th Century: neoclassic, neomedieval, and Italianizing styles. Turn-of-the-century period. Eclectic architecture. First decades of the 20th Century and the inter-war period.  Socio-cultural changes and rupture styles. The Paris group. Realisms., Fledgling vanguards. The postwar period. Abstraction. Concrete art. Stylistic monumentalism. Modernity’s triumph and crisis. The growth of the international style. The years of euphoria and rebellion. Pop art. Structuralism. Formalism. Neo-realism. Naïve art. Technological determinism. Late 20th Century. Democratization and postmodernism. Ecological art. Post-figurative art. Ornamentalism. Regionalism. Minor arts. The teaching of art in Argentina.

Argentine tradition and culture:
Origin and formation of the social, economic, and political spaces in Argentina. Introduction to regional cultures. National identity consolidation. The Spanish-indigenous cultural process. The creole cultures. The gaucho. Folklore and traditional movements in the Argentine countryside. Typical clothing in the Argentine countryside. Daily life, mores and habits in Argentina: the mate. Impact of immigration. Review of fine arts, literature, dance and music. Urban identities: the case of Buenos Aires and an anthropology porteños (inhabitants of Buenos Aires). Tango as a symbol of the River Plate passions.
 

Regular classes for Argentine students

Co- and extra-curricular activities

Whenever required, field trips to libraries, archives, historical and art museums are arranged by the program faculty. Students have free access to a multi-modal, 88-acre sports complex located in the suburb of Moreno (province of Buenos Aires). The Club del Exterior (International Club) brings together international students with University of Belgrano students who have returned from studying abroad. The Club del Interior, in addition, brings together Argentine students from the provinces who are also adapting to living away from home and who face experiences similar to those of international students. These two clubs organize social activities. CCIS students take a city tour during the orientation for international students. Free tango lessons, an excellent acting and performing school, and an active choir are included among these activities.

Housing options

Students can opt between a homestay or accommodations in private student residences. In both cases, the cost will be $500 per month, payable directly to the landlords. This price includes room, breakfast and dinner. Housing will be arranged by the International Office staff at Universidad de Belgrano prior to the students' arrival.

Visa, vaccination & health insurance

United States citizens are required to obtain a student visa for stays longer than 90 days. To obtain a student visa, students must contact the Argentine consulate closest to their place of residence in the United States, where they must bring their passport, 2 photos, birth certificate, the letter of acceptance from Universidad de Belgrano, a statement of no criminal records issued by the local police or sheriff, and a clean bill of health from a physician. All documents must be translated into English. The Consulate will legalize those translations (there is a fee for each document), and it will issue a student visa. The visa fee is $200.

No vaccinations are required either by Argentina or the United States for US residents traveling to Argentina. A local health insurance policy with an excellent health maintenance organization will be included in the cost of the program. This policy will be valid all over Argentina, in Uruguay, and other bordering countries. 
 

Travel information and arrangements

Students can secure round-trip airfare to Buenos Aires on their own. The program sponsor is exploring possible group flight fares from New York, Los Angeles and Miami. A special orientation program will be run the weekend when students arrive for this program. A comprehensive orientation and city tour will be conducted by the University of Belgrano at the end of the intensive Spanish language course, prior to the start of the regular semester. 

Program Cost
 

	CCIS institutions	All other students
Program in Spanish	$2,288	$2,488
Program in English	$2,488	$2,688

These prices include instructional costs abroad, insurance, orientation (with first night's hotel and city tour), airport transfer, administrative fees. A deposit of $400 ($200 of it refundable) will be due upon acceptance in the program. Not included in these prices are: room and half board ($335/month), airfare, personal costs.
 

Program Dates Spring 2003:February 10- July 11 Fall 2002: July 1 - November 22

Application Deadlines: Spring: October 21, 2002 Fall: March 20, 2002  (extended to May 31)

Program Director:

Dr. Benjamin F. Hadis, Director of International Studies

Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043

Phone: (973) 655-4483; Fax: (973) 655-7687

E-mail: Benjamin.Hadis@montclair.edu