Area studies are designed to broaden a student's perspective of the world by exposing them to diverse cultures and allowing them to see the world in different ways.

Area studies at Dana Hall School currently consist of three major courses: East Asian Area Studies, African Area Studies, and Middle Eastern Area Studies. 

Our school has had these area studies courses for over 60 years, 40 years, and 60 years, respectively. 

In addition to these three courses, the school is adding Russian Area Studies in response to the increased global attention brought about by the political issues that recently arose between Russia and Ukraine. 

Students are encouraged to take area studies courses to satisfy the graduation requirement. 

“This requirement ensures that all students have been introduced to the history and perspectives of a non-Western region in support of our mission to prepare students for the challenges they face as citizens of the world,” according to Dana Hall’s curriculum handbook. 

Students are given multiple projects and research papers throughout the year in which they take an area studies course. 

The Social Studies Department encourages students to actively work with their peers to come up with solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. 

Students are also given the opportunity to travel to places that are related to the area studies course they are taking.

In the 2023 school year, students will be going to South Africa and Greece.

Each area studies course has a different focus and goal since each area is unique in terms of its cultural development and values. 

East Asian Area Studies focuses on learning about the history and cultures of China, Japan, and Korea in order to comprehend their current success and the challenges they face as modern countries.

Middle Eastern Area Studies focuses on the ancient Middle East and the three monotheistic religions.

Meanwhile, African Area Studies investigates Africa's historical evolution, from the ancient Nile River civilizations through to African peoples' recent attempts to gain independence from colonial forces and the establishment of new and stable political, economic, and social institutions.

Something that students find highly appealing about these area studies courses is that each nation has some sort of connection to each other that makes studying them more interesting. 

Moreover, this is how students expand their views on our world and develop critical thinking on current events that involve different countries or cultures.

Ms. Panahi, who is the teacher of the Dana Hall Social Studies Department’s African Area Studies course, says that taking area studies is essential because “we live in a world that is short on empathy, and short on deep understanding, and the way we learn to be more empathetic and understanding of others is by trying to see the world through somebody else’s eyes. And that is what area studies allow us to do. To be okay with the fact that there are many ways of looking at any one event or any one experience. That is how area studies make Dana Hall a unique place.”

Teachers and students of area studies continuously turn their attention to new countries and their surrounding areas, eventually influencing future generations to learn about other countries and their histories. 

Seohyun Oh

Grade 10

Dana Hall School