Classes!

This is just a quick update about my classes!

Cross-Cultural Encounters in a European Context: Really good class! We just got back from our study tour focusing on identity in the border region... Its all really interesting and the professor is GREAT. I'm really looking forward to our trip to Lithuania! Now that we've studied the border region, we're going to move onto learning about lots of different minorities all across Europe and I'm really excited.

Ethnic Conflict in Modern States: Its an interesting class... But the readings are a little heavy... and we're still a bit unsure about what our midterm is... But there are some really nice locals in the class that I'm starting to talk to a bit!

Language, Society and Ideology: Basically, a sociolinguistics course. But its interesting hearing all the different sociolinguistic theories. I disagree with a lot of the theories, but its all interesting. I'm kinda worried about the final project and hope I don't actually have to do field research...

Migrants, Minorities, and Multiculturalism: Super amazing! I love the professor even though he paces like a mad-man. He tells funny stories and gets distracted a lot but we learn a lot. We're just finishing up with learning about Denmark's imigration rules and how the conservative turn of the government in 2001 is affecting immigration and we're learning all about the Danish People's Party, which is the third biggest party right now, despite being completely xenophobic...

Service Learning Seminar: Probably my favorite class. I only have it once a week, every other week, but its always fun. We've learned about cultural intelligence, multiple intelligences theories, and intercultural communication and how societies and their cultures differ and how to work with that and the class is always hands on and its great. I don't start volunteering until the 4th though (Because I'm working with Muslim girls and September is Ramadan...)

They're is QUITE a bit of overlap between all of them... and what I've studied before... but I don't mind because they fit in perfectly with EVERYTHING I'm studying and I find it all really interesting... And with the overlap I get more perspectives and a deeper understanding of the situations... So its good :) People ask me how I can handle all the repetition and I see it all as a good thing.

Other random side note: I'm sure you've all heard about how Denmark is so Liberal and everything is ALL ABOUT equality and women are treated as equals... right? Well, its all true for the most part... but I've been finding some issues with the women's rights thing... So... Denmark has the highest percentage of women in the workforce or something, right? Its mostly because of the (basically) required daycare from age 1-6... Most of the women work in nurseries and schools... So. This girl I know visited her host sister's bording school... And found out they only taught cooking, child rearing and equestrian... The host sister is 19... and basically going to school to learn how to be the perfect rich, 50's house wife? And then it seems like the women still do most of the cooking and cleaning... So... while they may be liberalized (to the extent they don't wear bras when its warm... even with decently see-through shirts...) when they're outside of the house and have all of the same rights as men, I feel like in the private sector... they're still a few years behind... If you know more than me about this subject, please tell me? Aaand... I fully intend on talking to a female dane about this issue when I get the chance...