Site: Havana, Cuba
Country Context: Cuba is witnessing profound change. The COVID-19 pandemic and the political changes in Cuba (with Miguel Díaz-Canel as president since 2018) and the United States (with the Trump and Biden administrations promoting a different
stance on Cuba from Obama's) are dramatically reshaping the social, political, and economic reality on the island. This shifting environment positions Cuba as an ideal site to explore issues related to socialism, economic transformation, race relations,
gender and sexuality, illicit/informal economies, poverty, food security and environmental risk, and urban challenges and planning.
Project Context: The objective of the Cuba IFP is to provide you with a unique research-oriented experience in which lectures and interactions with your peers from different countries offer you an in-depth understanding of global problems at play
in a specific context. By studying the emergence of neoliberal practices in an allegedly marketless economy, of class and race disparity in a purportedly classless and post-racial society, and of gender equality in a highly gendered reality, you acquire
a political grammar that will make you a better citizen of your own country.
Project and Partner Organizations: Havana is Cuba’s economic, touristic, and political heart and a place where you will learn as much on the streets as in the classroom and through your involvement with Cuban organizations. The project has three
components, shaped by the many assumptions of people outside, the shifting landscape within, and the need for cultural mediation in between. First, you take classes with leading Cuban intellectuals, which will provide you with an alternative viewpoint
on concepts we question from and against a neoliberal perspective in the United States. Second, you gain hands-on experience through visits, workshops, and direct engagement with projects run by Cuban NGOs and CBOs. Third, you conceive, execute, and
evaluate a research project leading to a publishable paper or other final product (e.g., a documentary film); this can be an individual or group research project.
Cuban and Foreign NGOs/GONGOS:
Lodging: Life in Cuba is intense. The country is undergoing a profound transformation, and the reality on the ground is changing fast. You have a unique window through which to observe this change in the making. You will be hosted in a private
home (two per room, breakfast included, with air-conditioning).
Program Duration: Late May–July, 2024
Faculty: Gabriel Vignoli
Open to: Graduate and undergraduate students at The New School and other universities. Students from institutions other than The New School should determine how credits will transfer to their home institution.
SGPIA Concentrations: Cities and Social Justice, Development, Media and Culture, Governance and Rights
Spring 2024 Required Course: Cuba: Critical Concepts
Language Requirement: Knowing Spanish is a plus, but it is not a precondition for acceptance. If not already fluent, students are encouraged to take Spanish classes at their home institution (New School students may audit fall and spring Spanish
classes). Students will take Spanish classes throughout the IFP in Havana, with placement determined by the results of a language test administered upon arrival in Havana.
Contact Information: [email protected]