Explore the cultural history of sport in Ireland and the United States. Learn how these popular practices reflect social and national identity (and forms of nationalism), and how sport infuses meaning into cultural participation, consumption, and a shared experience.

Sports provide a means of expressing unique cultural affiliations and identities in parallel with, and at times in opposition to, national pastimes and dominant sporting practices. The program examines the ways in which modern sports provide a potential vehicle for social integration and mobility, as well as the construction of a national identity. Sports can be a site and practice that can both uphold dominant narratives and  challenge the foundations of these reigning narratives.

The first two weeks of this program will take place on campus at UC Berkeley. The final two weeks will take place in-country at the University College, Dublin, situated in the beautiful capital of Ireland.

 

Highlights include:

• Excursions around the fabulous city of Dublin will include walking tours of the city, visits to sporting locations and stadiums, attending sporting events, and more.
• Learn to play traditional Irish (Gaelic) sports like Hurling & Irish Football directly from Irish athletes during hands-on outings.
• Visit nearby dramatic scenic areas outside of Dublin.

 

Dates:

On UC Berkeley Campus:

• May 23, 2022 - June 3, 2022*

In-Country (Dublin, Ireland):

• June 5, 2022 - June 19, 2022

All dates are subject to change.

*If you cannot attend the Berkeley on-campus portion but are still interested in the program, please email the instructor/Faculty Director for this program to explore options before applying.

 

This program is being planned to be in-person for 2022. Berkeley Study Abroad is actively monitoring COVID-19 on the ground for all in-country programs.

 

Units: 6 Units

 

Language of Instruction: English

 

Course: Education 75: A Cultural History: At the Intersection of Sport and Ethnic and National Identity. Ireland, the United States and the Irish-American Diaspora

 

Please note: Students should not take other online courses concurrent with this program.

 

Housing

• Students will live on Campus apartments at the University College Dublin.
• Apartments include single rooms: one student per bedroom with the option for their own bathroom.  Shared kitchen and living area with 4-5 students.
• This program comes with a meal plan that includes 3 meals a day.
• UCD has indicated that the apartments are accessible to students with mobility-based disabilities. If you have clarifying questions, please feel free to reach out to the program staff.

 

Eligibility:

• At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
• 2.0 GPA or higher

 

Application:

• Applications open February 1, 2022
• Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
• Deadline to apply is March 15, 2022

During the program, you will take one course for a total of six UC Berkeley units.

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Course: Education 75

Title: A Cultural History: At the Intersection of Sport and Ethnic and National Identity. Ireland, the United States and the Irish-American Diaspora

Instructor: Associate Adjunct Professor Derek Van Rheenen

Units: 6 units

The course examines the ways in which modern sports provide a potential vehicle for social integration and mobility, as well as the construction of a national identity. Sports likewise provide a means of expressing unique cultural affiliations and identities in parallel with, and at times in opposition to, national pastimes and dominant sporting practices.  As such, modern sports are socially and historically constructed; sports are contested popular cultural practices defined by political and ideological struggle.

You can fulfill the L&S International Studies breadth requirement by full participation in a Berkeley Summer Abroad program. This program also satisfies the L&S Social Behavioral Sciences breadth requirement. All of the required courses must be completed with a C-/P or better. Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements this course may fulfill.

Summer Abroad staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

Costs

Tuition and Program Fee

The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

Fees are subject to change. All non-UC Berkeley students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $63.

 

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses

In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated costs for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

 

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer.

​​Financial aid estimates for 2022 Berkeley Summer Abroad programs are now available in the Summer Financial Aid Estimator in your Cal Central account.

Please FIRST obtain your estimate in the Summer Aid Estimator, then write to travelaid@berkeley.edu if you have any questions about the estimate you receive. Your estimate will include a Berkeley Study Abroad Scholarship if you qualify for one based on financial need.

How to locate the Estimator:

1) Log into Cal Central
2) Navigate to the My Finances Tab, and find the "Financial Resources" card
3) Scroll to the bottom of the Financial Resources card and click on Summer Sessions
4) From the Summer Sessions menu, click on Summer Cost and Aid Estimator
 

Make sure to adjust the number of units in the estimator if your program offers a choice of course selection. If your program only offers one combination or one course for 6 total units units, you do not need to update the units in the estimator.​

All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

 

Explanation of Fees

Tuition is based on a per-unit cost:

• The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit

• The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $570 per unit

The program fee includes* the following items:

• Student housing for the Ireland portion of the program with all meals provided.

• On-site orientation activities, excursions, etc.

• Travel insurance to cover accident/sickness medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, and other travel assistance services

• Other program-related costs including fees for group transportation, guest speakers, etc.

• The $400 deposit. If accepted to the program, the $400 deposit is non-refundable and will be applied towards your program fee. If you are waitlisted or denied admission to the program, your deposit will be refunded. If you request to withdraw your application prior to an admission decision being issued, or cancel your participation after being accepted to the program, the deposit remains non-refundable. 

*Please note that the list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

The following items are excluded from the program fee and included in the Out of Pocket expenses estimate:

• International airfare

• Personal expenses (souvenirs, routine medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)

• Course materials (textbooks and readers)

• Other travel expenses (passport, visa, etc.)

• Additional meals

• Commuting costs for daily travel to and from classes

 

Timeline

 

* Orientation events take place on the Berkeley campus. If you are not on campus during this time, we will schedule a meeting via phone or Zoom.

†  The first part of this program takes place in Berkeley from May 23, 2022 - June 3, 2022. All students should plan on checking into program housing in Dublin on June 5, 2022 and are expected to check out of program housing on June 19, 2022. Students who depart after the last day may do so, but they are responsible for arranging their own accommodations outside of the program end date. Please note that in-person attendance is required for the Dublin portion of the program.

All dates are subject to change.

 

Instructors

Prof Derek Van Rheenen

Program Director

Email: dvr@berkeley.edu

Derek Van Rheenen’s research interests include the cultural studies of sport, nature sports, sport tourism, ecopedagogy, the connections between sports, learning and schooling, and the role of intercollegiate athletics in the American university system. A former Academic All-American and professional soccer player, Van Rheenen teaches courses on sport, culture, and education. In 1998 he received the Outstanding Dissertation Award in the Graduate School of Education, UC Berkeley. Professor Van Rheenen has also been named a Chancellor's Public Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Van Rheenen is the Coordinator of the GSE-wide M.A. Program and directs the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education Master's degree specialization for students studying the intersections of school and sport. He has also been the Executive Director of the Athletic Study Center at U.C. Berkeley since 2001.

 

Prof. Paul Rouse

Local Professor/Expert

Professor Paul Rouse is Professor of History at University College Dublin. He has written extensively on the history of Irish sport and also on the global history of sport. His research also extends to popular culture, the history of the media, and the history of agriculture. He is currently Co-Director of two major public history projects:

 

* Century Ireland (www.rte.ie/century ireland), the main online portal for the Irish decade of

commemorations, 1912-23;

* GAA Oral History Project (www.gaa.ie/the-gaa/oral-history/), the largest oral history

project undertaken by any sporting organisation in the world.

 

He writes a weekly column on sport and sports history for the Irish Exam.

 

Summary of Recommendations to Student Travelers to Ireland:

Berkeley Study Abroad is actively monitoring COVID-19 on the ground for all in-country programs. All programs that are running have gone through a screening for COVID-19 safety. That said, the global pandemic is an ever-evolving situation, and programs may need to be postponed (and in some cases, cancelled) in the event of an increased risk of COVID-19. To prepare for this, Berkeley Study Abroad recommends the following:

• Vaccinations are strongly encouraged and recommended to participate in Berkeley Study Abroad programs. If students have a vaccination exemption, we cannot guarantee that they will be able to travel, re-enter the U.S. upon return, live in program housing, take public transportation, or participate in program activities. You may also be subject to a mandatory quarantine period upon arrival, which would be your financial responsibility. If you are a student with a vaccination exemption and wish to study abroad, we highly recommend you reach out for an advising appointment to discuss if there would be a program that would meet your needs.
• Purchase refundable or changeable airline tickets in case the on-the-ground situation changes
• Research entry and exit requirements and restrictions for all countries you plan on traveling to (including paying attention to any travel prior to your arrival in-country for your program)
• Budget for entry and exit related expenses related to COVID-19 that are not covered by UC travel insurance policy. Details about the student travel insurance policy, and to find out what is covered, click here.
• Regarding vaccination status: All students must comply with the UC Berkeley UHS and UC policy on reporting requirements, proof of vaccination, or exemption. For students with vaccination exemptions, please research entry requirements for the program location. It is each student’s responsibility to plan and budget for necessary quarantines/additional testing, etc.
• Please take the time to familiarize yourself with any and all COVID-19 safety protocols in-country, and take extra precautions to keep yourself and others safe. Especially in these times, it is important to consider how our actions can have an impact on local communities while we travel in study abroad programs.

 

Additional Links and Resources for travel to Ireland:

• US Embassy Common COVID-19 info page for Ireland
• Ireland Government COVID-19 page
• Consider signing up with the state department here to receive the latest Travel Advisories when they are posted on travel.state.gov.
• Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated Travelers
• Global Vaccination Rates
• FOR STUDENTS TRAVELING WITH A NON-US PASSPORT: IATA Travel map which outlines restrictions for all nationalities.

 

Traveling Responsibly:

On July 15th 2021, the University of California Office of the President announced a system-wide vaccine mandate that will require all students, staff, and faculty be immunized against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Summer 2022 program participants must comply with this mandate prior to their program start date. It is imperative to plan ahead as several COVID-19 vaccines require a 6-week period to achieve effectiveness. All students must comply with the UC Berkeley policy on reporting requirements, proof of vaccination, or exemption.

Please also take note of the COVID-19 related travel entry requirements for the country in which your program is taking place. These entry requirements may vary depending on which national passport you are traveling with. Note that some locations require proof of vaccination for entry, and that any costs associated with quarantining for non-medical related reasons will be the responsibility of the student. Please also pay close consideration to the route you are planning to take to enter the country, as some locations may have additional travel restrictions from places outside the US.

Lastly, while traveling to and living in your program country, we urge you to consider not only your own safety, but also the safety of others. As students representing the UC Berkeley community, especially in these times, it is important to consider how our actions can have an impact on local communities while we travel in Study Abroad programs. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with any and all COVID-19 safety protocols in-country, and take extra precautions to keep yourself and others safe.