Courses

2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the October Revolution of 1917 which brought the Bolshevik Party to power and led to the first attempt at building a
communist society in the form of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1922. What did the leaders of the communist revolution and their supporters
hope to achieve? What was achieved and at what cost? Why was communism popular in Western Europe and much of the world in the early twentieth century? How does
social democracy differ from communism? Was the USSR defeated in the Cold War or did its fall come about primarily as a result of internal collapse?
These are some of the questions which will guide us as we explore the ideas and events which shaped this world-transforming event, the struggles which followed,
the influence of the USSR around the world and the legacy it left upon its collapse. Much of our reading material will be primary sources in the forms of
theoretical writings and political speeches from the period under study. Students will be asked to locate and discuss additional primary sources.

Grading will be based upon quizzes, classroom participation, in-class presentations and an essay.

The independence movements of the mid-twentieth century transformed a world of colonizers and the colonized into a world divided between 'rich' (developed) and
'poor' (developing) countries. Since the late twentieth century, once 'poor' countries have been able to achieve extraordinary economic growth. Yet while
hundreds of millions have been lifted out, billions remain in extreme poverty. In this class, we will seek out the proper analysis of the causes of contemporary
poverty. Together, we will explore the role of China, India and other 'new players' in the development field, the nature of work in the development field today
and the relationship between development and sustainability.

Grading is based upon participation, leading classroom discussions on assigned topics, quizzes, one book review and one essay.

This course meets a requirement for the Sustainability Certificate.

This intentionally interdisciplinary course is designed to help students develop their international and geographic literacy.
The objectives of this course are to help you develop a functional understanding of global institutions and patterns, to engage you with a variety of international
issues and problems, and above all to challenge you to think about the world in new and creative ways that should prove useful in pursuit of career goals
with international dimensions. The course is structured around three global challenges: global citizenship, inequality and migration.

Complex problems require multifaceted solutions which transcend international boundaries and reach multiple populations across the globe all at once. By applying
an International Studies approach to these three global challenges, you will begin to appreciate how taking an interdisciplinary approach is becoming not only
increasingly relevant, but indispensable. This class consists of two weekly lectures and a discussion session; you are expected to have read the required
readings before each session. You are expected to attend all lecture and discussion sessions; exams may include questions drawn from the content of these
sessions not found in the reading materials.

This course meets a requirement for General Education credits.

After a brief survey of human evolution to the neolithic revolution, students will be introduced to the six earliest complex societies in: the Andes, the Indus Valley,
Mesopotamia, Egypt, China and Mesoamerica. We then consider the spread and interaction of state and non-state civilizations as different as the Mauryan Empire in
India, Athenian Democracy in Greece, the Christian kingdom of Axum in Ethiopia or Mayan civilization in Mesoamerica. We will discuss the rise of the world's
major religions and examine the forces that contributed to major social transformations, including the rise of Islam and the nomadic invasions from Central Asia.
We will also seek to uncover the continuity of distinct cultures prior to during the era of European conquest.

Grading is based upon participation, a choice of presentation or a book review, one essay, a mid-term exam and a final exam.

Same course as Introduction to International Studies (see above).

In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Harvard-trained political scientist Francis Fukuyama published his now famous essay
'The End of History and the Last Man' in 1992, arguing that with the end of the Cold War, humanity had reached the end of its
political and economic evolution. Henceforth, liberal democracy and market capitalism would serve as the final forms of human
government and economy. Despite such triumphalism, the history of the post-Cold War period has been a world lurching from one
crisis to the next. In this course, we will seek explore the Cold War and its aftermath in an effort to develop an understanding
of how both Neoliberal capitalism and the United States as sole superpower rose to a position of seemingly unassailable global
hegemony, aptly captured in the phrase: 'there is no alternative'. We will consider such questions as: What has the collapse of
communism meant for formerly communist countries as well as for anti-capitalist struggles around the world? How have developing
countries managed within a global economic regulatory system which regularly prescribes 'shock therapy' solutions for their
economic crises? And: How should we understand the logic of the shift from Cold War to the so-called War on Terror? Grades will
be based upon in-class participation, presentations, quizzes, an essay and exams.

Our journey into the modern era begins with a survey of the wide diversity of human societies as they had developed up to the era of global connections and European
conquest, starting in the fifteenth century, and an overview of what the world looked like and how international connections were organized in the sixteenth
century. We shall endeavor to understand how non-European societies were affected by their encounters with Europe, including how colonization was resisted and
how the later spread of capitalism and industrialization re-shaped the fabric of vastly different societies. Our journey concludes with an examination of the
first and second world wars, looking at their impacts across the globe. A predominant theme will be how imperialism drew nearly all of the world's diverse
peoples into its orbit, culminating in the vast destruction of the Second World War, which in turn undid both the European and the Japanese imperial projects.

Grading is based upon participation, a presentation and essay on a topic outside Europe and/or North America, a mid-term and a final exam.

A quarter century since the fall of the Soviet Union, the debate about capitalism versus socialism is back. The capitalist real estate tycoon Donald Trump is
stirring up the Republican Party. The socialist Bernie Sanders is stirring up the Democrats. Polls show that among American youth, the term 'socialism' is more
popular than 'capitalism'. But what do these terms mean? Their meaning has changed over time. In order to understand what socialism and capitalism mean in the
twenty-first century, it is necessary to look at their history. In this course, we will be read the writings and speeches of the major figures in the many
debates about capitalism and socialism. First, we will discuss the origin of capitalism. Next we will discuss how the idea of socialism developed out of working
class struggles to build a better society. Then we will consider the complex trajectories of capitalism, fascism, socialism and communism in the twentieth
century, before concluding with a discussion about where things stand today.

Students who take this class will be asked to locate and discuss one primary source
and to write a short essay. There will also be quizzes on the readings,
midterm and a final exam.

This course meets a requirement for General Education credits.

After a brief survey of human evolution to the neolithic revolution, we will consider the rise of civilizations as different as the preclassic Maya (Mesoamerica),
the Han Dynasty (China), the Maurya Empire (India), Hellenistic Greece and the Roman Republic (Europe). We will examine the political, economic and environmental
forces that contributed to major social transformations,societal collapse or rebirth. We will also seek to uncover the continuity of distinct cultures
prior to and as we enter the era global connections and European conquest in the sixteenth century, concluding with a look ahead to 1850 and the beginnings of
industrialization.

(Previously taught Fall 2013.)

We begin our journey into the modern era with an overview of what the world looked like and how it operated in the sixteenth century. We will seek to familiarize
ourselves with the wide diversity of human societies that had developed up to the era of global connections and European conquest. As our attention turns
necessarily to the major developments in Europe's transition out of the middle ages to the modern era, we shall endeavour to understand the trajectories of
non-European cultures before, during and after their engagement with Europe, including how colonization was resisted and how the later spread of capitalism and
industrialization re-shaped the fabric of vastly different societies.

Our journey concludes with an examination of the first and second world wars, looking at their impacts across the globe. A particular theme will be how
imperialism drew nearly all of the world's diverse peoples into its orbit, culminating in the vast destruction of the Second World War, which in turn undid
both the European and the Japanese imperial projects.

(Previously taught: Spring 2014 and Spring 2015.)

This course is designed to introduce students of various disciplines to the benefits, challenges, and practical considerations of partnering with nonprofit groups
and community members to provide humanitarian service in a less developed country (LDC). The course emphasizes service-learning, effective teamwork,
intercultural competence andpractical experience. In collaboration with Rotary International and local community members, students develop and execute
discipline-specific projects that address community-identified needs (particularly those related to education, global public health, and community service) in
Xicotepec de Juárez, Puebla, Mexico. The course prepares the student culturally and professionally for teamwork in an international environment. This is a
service-learning course in which students use critical thinking and reflection to underscore and enhance both cultural and discipline-specific knowledge and
skills gained through classroom study and through active participation in service projects.

Since the emergence of an environmental movement in the 1960s and 1970s, environmental issues have been the source of heated debates at both theoretical and
political levels. Since there is no 'one' environmental crisis, we will discuss a range of separate environmental issues, including: global climate change;
rising sea levels; ocean acidification; oil spills and other accidents involving release of toxins; nuclear meltdowns; loss of biodiversity and the extinction of
species; deforestation; desertification and more. The environmental movement itself has gone through numerous transformations. Starting in the early 1980s, a
backlash against environmentalism has capitalized on the sheer complexity and diversity of environmental issues as well as the lack of a stable regulatory and
legislative framework. This has set the stage for the ongoing showdown between environmental advocates and their detractors, most visibly and dramatically played
out in the workings of, and protests surrounding the annual United Nations Climate Change Conferences. As we read about and discuss such conflicts, we will seek
to understand them in a larger context by exploring theoretical debates and different proposals for solutions. Evaluation will be based upon participation, in-
class presentations, an essay assignment, exams and quizzes.