Environment and Justice in Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Faculty Leader
Ivan Evansievans@ucsd.edu
Ivan Evans is a professor in the Department of Sociology at UC San Diego and provost of Eleanor Roosevelt College. He is a native South African and graduate of University of the Western Cape, as well as University of Wisconsin-Madison. His areas of specialization include African studies, with special emphasis on South Africa, race and ethnicity, and social movements. He received the Eleanor Roosevelt College teaching award two years in a row.
Courses
- MMW 15GS: The Contemporary Era (PDF draft syllabus)
- ENVR 150GS: Environmental Justice (PDF draft syllabus)
Why you should go
Since the end of Apartheid in 1994, Cape Town became and remains one of the most popular tourist cities in the world. The city is famed for its natural beauty, a distinctively relaxed cosmopolitan milieu, and the storied role it played in the decades-long struggle against Apartheid. Apartheid was too deeply anchored too for its legacies to be quickly overcome. The 30 years that have elapsed since the end of Apartheid therefore afford an appropriate opportunity to assess the post-Apartheid trajectory, and this seminar proposes to do so through the lens of environmental justice. Inseparably connected to this focus are the challenges that climate change poses to contemporary generations who have been freed from oppressive Apartheid policies. South Africans continue to grapple with the racialized misallocation of scarce resources that were specific to Apartheid, but South Africans are also engaged in a global struggle to build resilience against climate change, a common global threat that imperils all countries.
Who should go
This program will be particularly relevant to Eleanor Roosevelt College students who want to make progress toward their Making of the Modern World general education requirement while exploring the Cape Town region through a series of hands-on environmental restoration projects and educational tours. The second course is an uppder division environmental studies course approprate for any student interested in environment and sustainability. The combination of the two courses will allow students to recognize the importance of collaboration across differences and of multi-disciplinary thinking when addressing the global challenge of climate change.
Information Sessions
- Wednesday, October 30, 3:00 - 4:30 pm
- Tuesday, January 14, 5:00 - 6:30 pm
- Register here for the live Zoom link, and/or to get the post-session recording.
Dates
| Departure from U.S.: | Sat., June 28, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Arrival: | Sun., June 29, 2025 |
| Mandatory Orientation: | Mon., June 30, 2025 |
| First Day of Class: | Mon., June 30, 2025 |
| Last Day of Class: | Fri., August 1, 2025 |
| Departure for the U.S. (or personal travel): |
Sat., August 2, 2025 |
Flight Information
- You will be responsible for purchasing your own airplane tickets, and your program coordinator will provide guidelines and resources during the pre-departure process to help you find an appropriate flight.
- Do not purchase plane tickets until the program is confirmed. All approved applicants will be notified by e-mail when the program has reached minimum enrollment.
Global Seminar Fees
All fees subject to change. See https://summersession.ucsd.edu/tuition/tuition.html for current tuition and campus-based fees.
| UCSD | Other UC | Non-UC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Cost: (includes $500 administrative fee) |
$6,200.28 | $6,200.28 | $6,200.28 |
| Estimated Tuition and Campus-Based Fees: |
$2,514.43 | $2,564.43 | $3,574.43 |
| Total: (not including airfare or personal expenses) |
$8,714.71 | $8,764.71 | $9,774.71 |
Budget Sheet
Funding Options
See the funding options page to learn how financial aid and scholarships can help you pay for this program.
Cape Town
- Cape Town Slave Lodge: Explore the long history of slavery in South Africa. Through the changing, temporary exhibitions the museum addresses issues and raises awareness around human rights and how the current day challenges are so heavily influenced by South Africa's challenging past.
- Our Workshop: Provides vocational skills training, employment opportunities, and support for local artisans and entrepreneurs
- Guga S'Thebe Cultural Centre: A community art, design, and performance space
- Scalabrini Institute: Addressing human rights, migration, and environmental concerns by providing support for migrants
- City walking tour: Understand the history of why certain race groups and classes had established themselves in different parts of the city.
- Philippi Village: Aims to support local entrepreneurship, create job opportunities, and foster community development through the provision of business facilities, training programs, and social initiatives.
- Philippi Horticultural Area: Students can experience organic farming tours, engage in community food programs, explore local markets, and participate in environmental education initiatives.
- Fair Food: Immersive farm visit
- Oranjezicht City Farm (South African Urban Food and Farming Trust)
- Walking Tour Food Dialogue: Sample street food and learn about sustainable seafood practices.
- Save a Fishie: Work with local ocean activist and beach clean up organisation for a morning beach clean up at Muizenberg beach.
- Cape Nature: Experience the convergence of two oceans, the Indian and Atlantic and learn about ecosystem restoration
- Two Oceans Aquarium
- Berg River Restoration Project
- Sustainability Institute
East Coast (3 nights)
- Platbos Forest: Experience Africa's southernmost indigenous forest. Participate in tree planting and clearing of invasive plant species.
- Grootbos Foundation: Nature immersion with local ecologists
West Coast (8 nights)
- Goedgedacht: Food security walking tour with the Path to Prosperity program
- Nature Connect site walk: Explore coastal ecosystems
- Khwattu Khoisan (First Peoples) Heritage Center: Experience making khoisan tea.
- Saldanha Fishers: Experience the life of subsistence fishers
Excursions are subject to change without prior notice. No refunds are possible.
Housing
Cape Town
- Dormitory-style room with up to 6 people per room in a modern guest house located in the center of the city.
- High-speed Wi-Fi available across the entire property
- Access to a communal kitchen with a stove, big refrigerators, food and storage boxes
- Laundry available for an extra fee
East Coast
- Dormitory-style rooms with up to 6 people per room at a peaceful farm
- High-speed Wi-Fi across the entire property
- Access to a communal kitchen
West Coast
- Tented set-up at Bokbaai with 20 semi-permanent tents, each with two beds
- The property is fairly remote with limited options for Wi-Fi connectivity but does have internet access in the lecture room.
- Electricity supplied by solar on the property.
- 3-4 person rooms with ensuite and non-ensuite options at Goedgedacht
Housing arrangements are subject to change based on local circumstances without prior notice. No price adjustments are possible.
Included Meals
- Welcome dinner upon arrival
- Farewell dinner at end of program
- All breakfasts included in housing
- Some lunches and dinners included during excursions
Classroom and Computer Access
- Classroom space at Villa Viva housing with Wi-Fi and flatscreen TV
- There is no computer lab available - plan to bring a laptop.
Wireless access may be intermittent due to local conditions. No refunds or price adjustments are possible.
Transportation
- Transportation by private bus to and from Cape Town International Airport to the student housing is included in the program.
- One or two (depending on the group size) local buses will be rented for the duration of the trip and will transport students to and from field-learning excursions and their accommodation.
- For off days students will be able to make use of our provider at their own cost.
- Uber is widely available in the Cape Town areaand is advised to get around in the evenings.
Phones
- Information about how to obtain a local SIM card will be provided at the pre-departure orientation.
- Students will be responsible to purchase their own calling time/minutes.
Insurance, Health, and Safety
- Comprehensive insurance package with Old Mutual
- Call the emergency assistance service before incurring any expenses to receive pre-authorisation.
- An in-depth orientation will be given on the morning after arrival, including health and safety procedures.
- Program partner staff will be available by telephone after hours.
- All students will be registered for UC travel insurance This is free coverage, but registration is required prior to departure.
