Global Studies Degree

Curriculum

Global Studies Major (43 Credits)

I. The Contemporary World and the Processes of Globalization

SO 211 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

This class will introduce students to the practice of ethnography, the craft of writing about other cultures, and will provide a concrete introduction to cultural anthropology, which is the comparative study of human societies. Generally offered every other spring semester 3 credits

GL 111 Introduction to Global Studies

Globalization refers to the processes which are pulling everyone on the planet together. In Introduction to Global Studies, we will look at politics, history, economics, and ecology to understand both the compression of the world and the rise of consciousness of the globality of human experience. Topics will include terrorism; migration from poor to rich countries; human rights; the flow of jobs and money around the world; human trafficking; transnational smuggling of drugs, weapons, and art; and the impact of human beings on the biosphere. Generally offered every year. 3 credits

GL 210 Colonialism/Post Colonialism

An examination of the impact of European colonialism in the last five hundred years to shaping contemporary global systems and cultures. This course examines the histories of modern colonialism from the 15th c. to the 20th c.; histories and literatures of decolonization from the 18th c. to the 20th c.; and the histories, cultures and discourses of the postcolonial era. It provides a conceptual introduction to the problems, debates, and discussions that represent current attempts to grapple with the role of colonial encounters in shaping the global present. 3 credits

HI 316 War and Peace in 20th Century Europe or

A study of European history from World War I through the decades of Fascism and depression to the end of World War II. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits

HI 341 World Revolution in the 20th Century

A study of the major revolutions of the twentieth century with special attention to the theoretical approaches to the nature of revolution. Primary attention will be given to the Mexican Revolution of l9l0, the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Chinese Revolutions of 1911 and 1949, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits

PO 257 International Relations

PH 240 Modernity

This course examines the set of projects that make up "˜modernity.' Its aim is to provide the student with a keener understanding of the world in which we live, the histories that led up to it, and the sorts of questions it gives rise to from a moral and philosophical standpoint. Students will become familiar with key themes consistent throughout various aspects of modernity (individualism, democracy, free thinking, progress, etc.) and are asked to think critically about the successes and/or failures of those projects. General Education choice for Part B. Generally offered yearly. 3 credits

RS 221 Introduction to World Religions

A consideration of the religious dimension of human existence, and an attempt to appreciate the experience of being human according to axial age traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. P: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. General Education choice for Part B. Generally offered every year. 3 credits

II. Global Issues: 12 credits from the following list of courses that offer in-depth treatment of issues that have arisen as a result of globalization. (chosen in consultation with an advisor)

MG 329 Global Issues

This course introduces students to the concept of culture and allows them to discover how aspects of culture have formed who they are and how cultural value orientations drive assumptions and behaviors in ourselves and in others. Globalization, one of the most debated topics in social sciences, will be discussed and analyzed. Current and critical global business issues will be analyzed from a variety of viewpoints. General Education choice for International Cultural Studies requirement. This course is offered when there is sufficient demand. 3 credits

PO 342 Nationalism

This course will explore a variety of questions regarding the origins and nature of nation- alism and its continued relevance in the contemporary world. What are the forces that shape the formation of nationalism? When and why do a group of people develop a distinctive cultural identity? What is the relation between nationalism and language, religion, race, a sense of place, and historical experience? What is the relation between nationalism and the emergence of the nation state? Does every group that has a distinc- tive cultural identity have the right to separate nationhood? Why is the attachment to the nation so strong that people are willing to kill and be killed in its defense? And if nationalism emerged under a specific set of circumstances, will other circumstances bring about its disappearance? The course will combine theory with specific case studies from around the globe. P: Sophomore standing. General education choice for Part C. 3 credits

PH 352 Introduction to Peace, Justice, and Global Issues

What are the causes of poverty, international conflict, racism, sexism, and ecological degradation; and how ought these complex issues to be addressed? This course examines the ways in which contemporary thinkers draw upon the work being done in various relevant fields to develop a coherent philosophy for answering this complex question. In so doing, the goal is to reach a better understanding of the issues and a critical, if provisional, assessment of the approaches and solutions that are proffered. The works of such significant figures in the field as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. will serve as a focus for discussion. P: Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. General Education choice for Part C. Generally offered in alternate years. 3 credits

RS 321 Fundamentalism

Just as sociologists were predicting the decline of the significance of religion as reason and science progressed, we have witnessed the rise of religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalisms bridge social, cultural, religious and political responses to modernity and can be studied as an attempt to understand not only other cultures but the West and the predicaments engendered by modernization. This course focuses on Islamic and Christian fundamentalism, combining the study of primary and secondary texts and familiarizing students with the methods and theories of comparative religious studies. General Education choice for Part C. Generally offered every other year. 3 credits

SC 301 Globalization and the Environment

3 credits

CO 371 Political Communication in the 21st Century

As we enter this 21st Century, a new political system is taking shape in the United States shaped profoundly by the interactive telecommunications revolution. America is increasing turning into an electronic republic and this is transforming our views of democracy and the way we interact with government. Armed with modern technical devices, we have all become instant journalists ready to report and document on any newsworthy event. With the advent of the Internet, web blogging, and "instant"