Jordan: Reem Itani

Program: CIEE Middle East Studies in Amman, Fall

Major: Political Science

How were your program academics similar or different from taking classes at UW-Madison?

My program academics were similar to taking Arabic classes at UW-Madison in that there were very small class sizes. Both Arabic programs also emphasized conversation, encouraging students to consistently practice their language skills. However, the Arabic program in Jordan also required students to take a colloquial Arabic course, whereas UW primarily teaches Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and does not have a colloquial Arabic option. Taking colloquial Arabic is very helpful for Arabic students because it allows them to converse with Arab locals naturally. I observed this during my colloquial Jordanian Arabic course when we went to the University of Jordan to practice our Arabic with locals.

Regarding coursework aside from Arabic, the courses are much smaller, as my cohort only consisted of 14 students. For instance, my largest class, Conflict and Diplomacy in the Contemporary Middle East, only had 11 students. This meant that there was more participation required than in large political science lectures at UW. Moreover, there was less homework, as professors emphasized learning outside the classroom, allowing us to embark on weekend excursions to different parts of Jordan, such as Petra, without the looming thought of assignments. Finals were also much less stressful, as my Modern Standard Arabic final was not cumulative, my colloquial Jordanian Arabic final was a relaxed presentation, and my final for the conflict and diplomacy course was a short policy brief and presentation. The finals were also not weighted as heavily as those at UW.

What did you learn about yourself or the world because of your experience?

I am much more adaptable than I ever imagined. I have lived in Madison for my whole life and have not had the opportunity or need to adapt to drastically different environments for a long time. However, in Jordan, I did not find adapting to be a challenge, and quickly found ways to belong amongst the locals. Furthermore, I observed that my previous experience researching abroad in Indonesia gave me experience in finding similarities with varying cultures and quickly adjusting to novel atmospheres. While I utilized my Muslim identity in Indonesia to forge connections with the locals, I used both my Arab and Muslim identities to do the same in Jordan.

I also learned that to truly comprehend an area of study, you must engage with all scholarship, including ideas uncommon in your country. In Jordan, all my professors were Jordanian and therefore had more of a stake in Middle Eastern affairs than their American counterparts. Rather than teaching politics and global affairs from an American-centric lens, my professors instead shared what many of those in the Middle East on the receiving end of American foreign policy decisions believed. Although my immigrant family shares similar opinions to those professors, digesting local opinions in an academic setting was a unique experience for me that stretched me to ask more questions to better understand the Middle East and the politicized nature of knowledge production.

Describe your internship, research, or fieldwork and how the experience helped advance your career or studies.

I interned at the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), a humanitarian aid NGO focusing on assisting refugees in the Azraq Refugee Camp. My primary duties consisted of looking into potential donors and funding opportunities for the NGO, researching current events, and writing about my findings in a weekly report. Furthermore, I was able to visit the camp and interact with the refugees I was serving and attend a UN meeting and event, reinforcing my interest in working in the humanitarian aid sector. Speaking with refugee women and hearing about their experiences in the camp cemented my research interests by providing a tangible element outside peer-reviewed journals.

Moreover, my research and fieldwork focused on the struggles of Syrian refugee women in Lebanon and Jordan, and I had the opportunity to interview three experts in Jordan on the topic. I intended to interview at least ten, but had trouble finding experts in Jordan on my particular topic, as many of the people that my advisor recommended were instead experts on Palestinians displaced to Jordan. This conundrum introduced me to obstacles field researchers often face, providing me with insight into conducting original research, better preparing me to conduct field research in graduate school. I ultimately utilized this data to complement the findings I made from secondary literature in my senior thesis. Therefore, the internship experience and this research endeavor advanced my studies by allowing me to view my theoretical academic interests through the lens of human experiences.

How did your identities impact your experience? What advice would you give to students with similar identities who are considering a similar experience?

My Arab and Muslim identity positively impacted my experience in Jordan because it allowed me to more easily adapt to the culture than my peers who didn’t share these identities. I was also able to pray in mosques, further interacting and relating to the local community. However, locals were wary of my LGBTQ+ and American identities. When I told locals I was part of the LGBTQ+ community, they either curiously welcomed it or shunned it. Most of them did not understand my identity, making it a daily chore to explain myself. Therefore, I advise students to keep their LGBTQ+ identity private. Although this may be hard for those who are open about it in the U.S., it may jeopardize their experience in Jordan.

What is a custom, food or tradition from your host country that you are taking forward?

A custom from my host country I am taking with me is welcoming people into your home with open doors, even when you barely know them. Jordanians are very warm and always welcome visitors to their home, never forgetting to prepare a warm home-cooked meal. When I went over to my grandmother’s friend’s house, not knowing her prior, she immediately welcomed me with a warm embrace and a three-course traditional Jordanian home-cooked meal. When we watched soccer on her TV afterwards, I truly felt welcomed in her household. At UW-Madison, I can sometimes be closed off, focusing on my own academics and research, and not always welcoming people into my circle. I learned from the Jordanians I interacted with that there is always a reason to welcome others into your home and into your life.