Fiji: Multiculturalism and Social Change

  Fiji

Suva

Term: Fall, Spring 
Dates: September-December, February-May

Description: This South Pacific island republic provides an exceptional setting for the study of social change in the context of a multicultural society. Called Viti by its original inhabitants, modern Fiji remains influenced
by the Polynesian, Melanesian, and Micronesian peoples who have used this island group as their meeting place for the past 3,500 years. Following its colonization by the British in 1874, Fiji also became home to tens of thousands of Indians who originally migrated as indentured laborers for local sugar plantations. Today, ethnic Indians make up 44 percent of Fiji's population.

The program is based in Suva on Viti Levu, Fiji's largest island. There, you study with faculty from the University of the South Pacific, as well as professionals from the government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector. As you examine a wide spectrum of cultural, political, economic, and social issues, and study island geography and the environment, you gain a better understanding of the complex relationships that challenge any society in transition.

Highlights: Six-week homestay in Suva.

The program includes lecture visits to historical and cultural sites on Viti Levu, including Nadi, archaeological sites at Sigatoka, traditional villages, plantations, and museums. On a longer excursion to the island of Vanua Levu, students visit historic colonial Savusavu and the predominantly Indo-Fijian town of Labasa for comparative social analysis. Two village homestays, one Fijian and one Indo-Fijian, will allow students to work on language skills and participate in cultural events in different settings.

Cost in US$: contact sponsor

Experience Required: no

Scholarships are Available.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Alumni Network
• Job and Internship Network

SIT Study Abroad's Mission Statement: SIT Study Abroad is the accredited higher education institution of World Learning, a private, nonprofit international organization promoting international and intercultural understanding, social justice, and economic development through education, training, and field projects around the globe. SIT prepares students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens through SIT Study Abroad, undergraduate, field-based academic programs operating in more than 50 countries worldwide, and thorough short-term professional training and graduate degrees in language teaching, conflict transformation, international education, social justice in intercultural relations, management, and sustainable development.

Year Founded: 1932