Dr. White’s field school students at the favela of Vidigal

Field School in Applied Anthropology: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Program Director: Dr. Cassandra White

The Department of Anthropology and the Office of International Affairs at Georgia State University sponsor a summer Field School in Medical Anthropology in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Students receive up to 8 credit hours for this four week program.  Students gain experience in ethnographic methods, including participant observation, writing fieldotes, and conducting interviews.  Activities include trips within the city to visit the programs of (and/or attend lectures by representatives of) some of the following organizations in Rio that work in areas related to public health, education, and social mobility:

• MORHAN (Movement for the Reintegration of people affected by Hansen’s Disease), an organization that works with on Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) education and patient advocacy
• Luta Pela Paz (Fight for Peace), a branch of the nonprofit organization Viva Rio focused on redirecting aggression of young people who were previously involved in armed violence through boxing
• Ana and Maria Project: a branch of Viva Rio dedicated to providing services and assistance to teen mothers in the favelas
• Criança Esperança (Child Hope Project), which offers a variety of after-school activities for children of the favelas of Cantagalo, Pavão, and Pavaozinho in Ipanema
• Instituto Dois Irmaos
• i2iUSA
• Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, a premiere medical research institution in Brazil that also has several outpatient public health facilities; we will take a tour of the grounds and of the Alhambra-inspired “castle” for which Oswaldo Cruz, a Brazilian physician and researcher, suggested the design
• Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital, built in the 16th century and currently a privately-funded hospital serving primarily low-income residents of Rio

Students will attend guest lectures from Brazilian and U.S. physicians, NGO representatives, and social scientists. They will also have the chance to visit well-known tourist destinations such as Corcovado (the mountain atop which sits the famous Christ the Redeemer statue), Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf Mountain and cablecar), and the Jardim Botânico (Botanical Gardens), as well as various cultural attractions, including Rio’s Northeastern Fair and various samba clubs.

Contact Dr. White for more information on the program.

* Program dates, costs, and activities are subject to change