Patagonia:

The Patagonia Mosaics (2001, 2003, 2005) examined trans-Atlantic migration, ethnic and labor relations, and community development among various ethnic groups in the oil company town of Comodoro Rivadavia, in Patagonia, Argentina.

Montserrat:

The Montserrat Mosaic (2005) conducted a two-week field study on the island of Montserrat, where volcanic activity has devastated parts of the island. Through coursework in both sociology and geology, students studied individual and collective trauma and the geology of cataclysmic events.

Mexican Migration:

The Mexican Migration Mosaic (1998, 2003) focused on migrant labor in Adams County, Pennsylvania, just south of Carlisle. In 2003, students worked with communities in Adams County, Pennsylvania and Peribán in Michoacán, Mexico--communities that lie on opposite ends of the continent, but remain connected through family, work and circular migration.

Steelton, PA:

During the Steelton Mosaic (1996, 2001), students and faculty members met with workers, teachers, local business people, and residents of the multi-ethnic community of Steelton, Pennsylvania to explore questions of mutual interest: how to raise a family, earn a living, and sustain faith in a community hit hard by deindustrialization. In 2001, students focused on work, family, and migration narratives among members of the African-American community.

From January 2-18, 2007, a winterim course in Venezuela provided a group of Dickinson students both the historical background and a hands-on exposure to the new model of “participatory democracy, endogenous development, and regional integration” that is developing in Venezuela today.

The course focused on social issues such poverty, education and empowerment. This trip abroad also addresses some of the underlying assumptions we, as Americans, have when examining different societies such as Venezuela, and how these assumptions might affect our study.