Latvia Trip
International Initiatives
Latvia 2002 Seminar & Study Tour
Conducted by Family & Consumer Sciences Department, College of Education, Western Michigan University.
Goals
To introduce participants to Latvia, a country that is making a transition from 50 years of Soviet rule and cultural domination to democracy, a market economy, and a reclaimed national/cultural identity.
To explore Latvia’s political and multi-cultural history and contemporary conditions in order to broaden participants’ knowledge and experiences.
To gain an understanding using an ecological perspective of Latvia and its families, food, health, textiles and apparel, built environment, and education in the context of its history and culture.
Objectives
- To examine historical events that shaped the Latvian experience.
- To study Latvian families and learn how family relationships were impacted by war, displacement and deportation.
- To introduce the Latvian aesthetic and give participants exposure to forms of art and design in architecture and everyday objects.
- To explore textile production from the craft to modern manufacture.
- To explore the role of food, folklore and literature in establishing, maintaining and transmitting the national and cultural identity
- To examine the impact of the transition from Soviet socialism to a market economy on health, food and agriculture.
- To create opportunities for contact with faculty of Latvian schools and universities representing similar areas of study.
Schools Visited: |
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| Latvian Agricultural University | Riga High School of Art and Design | |
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| Ziemelvalstu gimnazija | ||
Latvian Traditions |
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| Flowers | Food | |
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| Open Air Ethnographic Museum | ||
Old Riga |
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| Latvian State History Museum |
