"If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."— Aboriginal activists, Queensland, 1970s
This living-learning community explores issues of diversity, inequality, social justice, and social change. To do so, we draw upon the idea of "crossing borders and discovering home." For us, borders refer to real and imagined boundaries placed around us as individuals, and as members of various communities. Named after the late Esther Madríz, beloved USF professor of sociology who embodied the Ignatian ideals of education of the whole person as a means toward social justice, Esther Madríz Diversity Scholars examine and challenge these boundaries to gain a fuller understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
During 2013-2014, we will explore the intersection of migration and gender/LBGTQ issues in the context of the Americas, focusing on the “borderlands” of Nicaragua and San Francisco. The class will study the concept of borders/borderslands and the people who cross/inhabit them on two levels: as a broad concept encompassing the constructions of borders globally and locally, and more specifically in relation to the transnational communities of San Francisco and Nicaragua. Secondly, we will study the impact of the arts and artists-activists in representing and transforming social realities across borderlands, especially as it pertains to gender and sexuality.
Upon successful completion of the year, Esther Madríz Diversity Scholars fulfill these core requirements:
- Social Science (Core E)
- Cultural Diversity (CD)
- Service-Learning (SL)
Esther Madríz Diversity Scholars participate in these events:
- Fall weekend retreat
- Weekly karamus (community gatherings)
- Various service learning opportunities
- Transborder travel experience to Nicaragua to gain new perspectives on social problems and their solutions
- Fight the Power Community Education Event
- Esther Madriz Celebration Dinner
Successful applicants will live in the designated space for Esther Madríz Diversity Scholars in Phelan Residence Hall. All community members are required to enroll in the EMDS courses for both fall and spring semesters.
This learning community is a collaborative effort between the Sociology Department and the Intercultural and Gender & Sexuality Centers.
