Ethnographic Practicum
Prague, Czech Republic

This study abroad practicum offered an opportunity for students to directly engage with field methods of cultural anthropology. At the same time, it provided an exciting cross-cultural immersion experience in one of Europe’s most storied locations. Eleven students traveled to Prague, Czech Republic, in May and June 2012 to ethnographically explore the "City of a Hundred Spires." Before traveling, they met regularly on campus with the faculty director to review the cultural history of the Czech nation and become familiar with ethnographic methods. Students then traveled to Prague for three weeks and submerged themselves into the life of the city. Each student undertook some aspect of participant observation, focusing on particular areas of the city: the Jewish Quarter, Prague Castle, and New Town. Likewise, students dedicated their ethnographic studies to particular elements of city life: public transportation, the café, the museum district, the river, or Charles Bridge. The experience culminated in the development of an all-encompassing Ethnography of Prague. See the group's blog at http://pragueethnography.tumblr.com/