Going Dutch

Students learn first-hand about the difference in social justice policies between Philadelphia and Amsterdam

She was struck by the beauty of the Dutch landscape, with its winding canals and picturesque villages, Priyani Sharma wrote about her winter break trip to The Netherlands. But her reflections hardly read like a typical travel journal. They also serve as an analysis of the social welfare and progressive policies of the European nation.

“I think The Netherlands has one of the most progressive systems in the world with women leaders being at the forefront of government; gay marriage has been legalized in The Netherlands since 2001; they place emphasis on the beautiful built environment and spaces for social housing; the integration of diverse communities through housing policies shows social cohesion; green and environmentally sustainable policies give priority to bikes, a well-established waste management system encourages individual responsibility; and the list goes on,” Sharma wrote.

Charged with writing thought pieces following their fall term of Global Classroom and an intensive course abroad to The Netherlands, Priyani and eight Honors Program students described similar sentiments about their observations of Amsterdam and the Dutch countryside: diverse, tolerant and clean.

The junior global studies major peppered her write-up with cultural reflections, lessons learned about herself and tips for visiting, but the most meaningful ruminations showcase the similarities between the structures and systems in the U.S. and the European country and the differences in how they approach societal issues.

The Honors students wrote their culminating papers for Just Cities, a classroom partnership between Drexel and The Netherland’s Hogeschool designed to incorporate a global dimension to a course on social justice policies in Philadelphia and Amsterdam. Conceived and co-taught by Cyndi Rickards, associate teaching professor of criminology & justice studies, and director of the justice studies program, the course explores how issues such as employment, immigration, race, education, health care, and policing support healthy communities or perpetuate injustice.

Excerpts and images from some of their reflections detail the complexity: praxis of justice:

Erika Garro, materials science & engineering ‘23

I think around halfway through the trip I realized that even though they may have better systems [in the Netherlands] than the United States in many ways, that does not necessarily mean that they should stop trying to make improvements to their own systems just because they have things a bit better than we may. Instead, I just felt disappointed in the way the United States and Philadelphia handles things with such a clear disregard for the people they are meant to serve.

The city as a whole, however, felt much less rushed than it does here. People walked a bit slower and seemed to enjoy their days out in the cold, whereas here everyone is rushing around one another. It was nice to feel safe walking around in the middle of the night while we went out exploring, and I found myself looking over my shoulder a bit less as the trip went on as compared to living here on campus.

Meghan Peng, biological sciences ‘23

Listening to the speakers was one of my favorite parts of the trip since I got to see all of the new ideas I was learning in action when we were walking around Amsterdam. One of the speakers that surprised me the most was the police at the Hague. I was so used to seeing the police around Philadelphia approach people with suspicion or hostility that hearing about the Dutch approach towards community building and approaching with low aggression opened my eyes to alternative methods of policing. Especially with the relevance of the World Cup in certain communities in the Hague, it was interesting to hear about how the police could capitalize on existing community relationships and trust to help manage potentially riotous crowds.

It was also interesting to learn about how the voting system operates in the Netherlands and how too many choices could potentially slow down the political process. For example, the newly elected government officials took office 10 months after they had won their elections because certain compromises couldn’t be reached. This voting system can also dissuade younger voters from participating in the political system. Hearing about this system gave me a new perspective on our bipartisan system, as learning about the candidates in only two parties can be overwhelming for me. It was also nice to learn about the students’ perspectives on these issues and how these social issues impacted their daily lives.

Jana Lenart, biological sciences ‘24

The greatest shock was simply the difference in cleanliness and safety of their public transit system relative to ours in Philadelphia. The train and metro stations were clean, with very little debris and waste to be found. It smelled pleasant and appeared very well maintained. The station was also well populated with both travelers and transit personnel, many of whom were quiet and respectful — a drastic change from my experiences with Philadelphia’s SEPTA transit system. Relatively speaking, I felt safe and like I could let my guard down more than I would ever feel comfortable with back at home. In continuing to utilize the transit throughout the week, it was also clear how much more efficient and reliable the trains were and simplicity of use and accessibility. The city as a whole was also structured in a way that was friendly to a variety of commuters and emphasized the safety of everyone from drivers to bicyclists and pedestrians.

One of the things that impressed me the most was how the Netherlands has handled the challenges that arise with heavy drug users in the community. Instead of criminalizing drug use, they have implemented a harm reduction approach, which focuses on reducing the negative consequences of drug use rather than trying to eliminate it completely. This approach has been successful in reducing the number of drug-related deaths and HIV infections, and it was enlightening to learn about a different approach to a complex issue … It was very impressive to me because Amsterdam is considered a central hub for the global drug market and even then, they were able to manage the problems that arise with addiction with effective stakeholder integration. Since the drug epidemic is a prolonged and fatal societal issue in the United States, there is much learning we can do from the Dutch systems.

Erica Miller, construction management ‘25

The social aspect of the trip was great. I loved having the previous connection with the Dutch students from when they visited Philly. It was rather easy to talk with them because we all were so curious about each other’s way of life. I learned the most through casual conversations at dinner next to “the Dutchies.” I also appreciate that the Dutch students say things straight forward so as to not beat around the bush. This is something different from American culture but informative and efficient. I learned that even with a bit of a language barrier, people will always find a way to communicate and have much in common.