Fall  2013

 

 Ethan Johnson

Ethan is an associate professor in the Black Studies Department at Portland State University.  His educational and research background is primarility  focused on how race and ethnicity in Latin America and the United states is experienced and represented in various forms.

Ethan says he sees his role as a faculty member in the Oviedo program as supportive.  He adds that  “for many students this will probably be their first time living and studying abroad.  Reflecting on my experiences living, working and studying abroad in Brazil, Mexico and Ecuador, these experiences have been among the most rewarding, but also challenging.  I want to be able to support students in their study abroad experience and hopefully provide them with the opportunity to develop both linguistic, cultural and general academic and life skills that will be with them for the rest of their lives.  I look forward to this exciting opportunity!

Ethan  will be teaching two courses  during the Fall 2013 term which will build on the local community in Oviedo and provide students an opportunity to reflect critically on their experiences while living abroad:

The Immigrant Experience in Spain

Over the last 15 years, as in much of Western Europe, large numbers of immigrants from many regions of the globe have come to Spain. This course will explore the contemporary immigrant experience in Spain. We will examine which groups are the primary immigrants in Spain. We will explore the reasons these groups of people have come to Spain. We will explore the various and diverse experiences these different groups have in Spain, paying special attention to educational, employment, health, and housing experiences. In addition, we will examine how immigrants to Spain are portrayed in mainstream media. In this course each student will be required to interview an immigrant of Spain and report on their findings to the class.

Race  and Ethnicity in Spain and Cuba Through Literature and Popular Culture

The course will examine comparatively how race and ethinicity are experienced in contemporary Spain and Cuba through literatura and popular culture. The course will be based primarily on reading and class discussion of race and ethnicity in Spain and Cuba.  In addition, we will examine additional representations of different racial and ethnic groups in popular culture in both countries.  We will also use a small number of academic articles that focus on how race and ethnicity are experienced in these two nations. During the term we will visit organizations representing racial an cultural groups and guest speakers will come to the cls their racial and ethnic experiences in Spain.