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Academics
- Discover the importance of tolerance in Dutch society.
- Examine the Dutch approach to issues like euthanasia, prostitution, and same sex marriage.
- Explore Amsterdam's urban environment.
Academic Structure
Program Type: Ethical Tolerance in Amsterdam is a Global Seminar. Global Seminars are short-term study abroad programs led by University of Minnesota faculty. Instruction is in English.
Level: 3000 level coursework
Term: May 2010
Prerequisites: None
Courseload: One 3-credit course
Prior to departure, students attend a pre-departure orientation and receive pre-departure readings and requirements. Upon arrival, students participate in a welcome reception and orientation, followed by a tour of Amsterdam and dinner. Mornings are devoted to seminar sessions and lectures. Afternoons are devoted to field trips and/or independent research. Most weekends are free for studying and exploring the area. Before departure there is a farewell luncheon.
Coursework
This course examines the arguments both for and against tolerance with respect to a set of ethical issues including:
- euthanasia
- same sex marriage
- prostitution
- drugs
- immigration
Are individuals free to decide what they want to do, or does society have the right to regulate these actions?
Explore the Dutch experience and policy with respect to these issues and try to understand the cultural, historical, and geographical factors that have produced these policies. Integral to this is a study of the Amsterdam urban environment and ways in which the built environment shapes human behavior, including the development of tolerant attitudes.
Knowledge of Dutch is not required.
For more information see last year's course syllabus and program itinerary.
This course has been approved for the Citizenship and Public Ethics and International Perspectives themes.
View the Global Seminar Liberal Education Requirements chart.
Faculty Leader
Carl Brandt is the Director of Student Services in the College of Liberal Arts and an adjunct faculty member of the Philosophy Department. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, and his primary philosophical interests are in ethics and social philosophy. Leon Deben co-leads the program and is an urban sociologist at the University of Amsterdam.
Last modified on October 9, 2009 |