A Feminist in Jordan Past Review
By Sarah D (Anthropology, Trinity University) for
SIT Study Abroad: Jordan - Modernization and Social Change
cultural relativism for me is no longer a given. I grapple everyday with gender and my ferocity for equality and being in the middle east put that into a very distinct perspective. There are no hard and fast answers and I haven't found any but I'll continue having conversations about it and trying to figure things out for the rest of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
the grading was of course easier than I was used to which was a blessing because I found that the independent engagement of inquiry while I was there took up more time than I thought. Because of Jordanian culture it was frustrating at times to find people to interview or survey for the independent study project but the instructors truly were amazing and went out of their way to help you. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were simply amazing. Sometimes it was difficult to get across how different American college students are from the more protected and restricted college students of Jordan but it goes with the territory and should be expected when entering a different culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
a mix up happened with the housing arrangement and my family was unaware of my vegetarianism but c'est la vie. things happen. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Near the end of the program I got sick and was taken to a doctor quickly though my director and given medication speedily. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about 20 dinar per week if you're being dirt cheap for food. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | the stipend of 50 dinar is helpful and you can live on it if you're frugal! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
MOst people spoke english yet it was necessary to speak arabic and fun to try though the language would take far more study to master than what I did while just being abroad. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I am not a middle eastern studies major nor have any particular interest in the middle east aside from anthropological inquiry. By all means if you are middle eastern studies, this program is wonderful. However, if you're anybody this program is wonderful. As stupid as it sounds, it will expand your horizons and challenge you to think about things you never thought of before. |
