IFSA Summer in Barcelona

During your IFSA Summer in Barcelona, opt to take one or two classes during the six-week session. All classes are worth 3 U.S. semester credit hours.

The Economics of Professional Soccer
Professional soccer, or football as it is more commonly known, is both a multicultural obsession and a globalized economic market. FC Barcelona, one of the world’s top soccer brands, was valued at more than $1.5 billion USD in 2020. This class explores professional soccer through the lens of behavioral economics, a discipline that blends sociological insight with economic theory. Through a case study of FC Barcelona, we will analyze various aspects of international soccer industries, as well as how professional soccer informs how Spain is viewed around the world. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Food Culture and Spanish Society
Class description and syllabus coming soon! (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Identity and Politics in Spain
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many authors and intellectuals proclaimed the end of ideologies and the rise of identity as the new central element of existence in the West. Thirty years later, identity is back, nationalism, LGBTQ+ rights, feminist movements, Black Lives Matter, groups all over the planet asking for fairer representation. Spain is no exception to that reality. Since the 19th century, with the rise of both Catalan and Basque secessionist movements, along with the articulation of a fiercely centralistic Spanish Nationalism, the identity question has been on the political agenda every now and then. But since the Spanish accession to the European Economic Community (EEC), in 1986, the Spanish identity is coexisting with many other identities within the European frame, and not always the coexistence is peaceful and comfortable. This class examines the different levels of identity that Spanish people profess and how these different levels affect politics, economics, and society since 1975, when the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Sustainability and the Global City
This class introduces urban sustainability from multiple disciplinary perspectives. It aims to provide students with the theoretical and methodological tools with which to evaluate potential for sustainable urbanism. Focusing on Barcelona alongside comparative global case studies, students will be exposed to urban planning and both natural and built environments in order to evaluate the common challenges and successes related to sustainability efforts. Through experiential earning opportunities, students will develop first-hand context as they examine various facets of sustainable urbanization in Barcelona.  (3 U.S. semester credit hours)