A graduate program in Global Studies

Last updated: July 13, 2018 at 12:20 p.m.

Graduate Program in Global Studies
As even casual attention to recent mass media outlets attests, the term "globalization" is widely used to refer to diverse—possibly even unconnected—processes in the economic, cultural, political, and environmental domains. What seems to characterize "global" phenomena such as climate change, transnational capital flow, and the internet, for example, is that their causes and effects ramify all across the earth, viewed both as a bio-physical totality and as a social space. In doing so, these and other global phenomena reveal unprecedented levels of interconnectedness that bring into play institutional agents and institutions that transcend local, national, and regional boundaries. The program in Global Studies is designed to provide students with analytical and methodological skills to investigate globalization both specifically and generally—specifically, by offering advanced training in one relevant academic concentration and independent research leading to a Master’s Thesis; and generally, by exposing students to a broad range of elective courses taught by faculty from the university’s School of Arts and Sciences, Heller School of Social Policy and Management, and International Business School. The program prepares students for a variety of professional and academic trajectories. For some students the MA degree will be an important credential for advancement in already-chosen career paths in government, NGOs, think tanks; for others the degree will be preparation for advanced professional degree programs in law, diplomacy, international health, etc.; and for others their Brandeis experience will be a stepping stone toward admission to the most selective doctoral programs.

The Global Studies Master’s program addresses core questions related to globalization and its consequences. Our program provides students with academic and professional skills needed to recognize, evaluate, and address some of the most critical global issues facing our planet. This dynamic, interdisciplinary one-year program provides a broad perspective on global institutions, critical issues, and the complex ways that globalization affects specific regions and countries.

Knowledge

  1. Develop familiarity with core theories and debates related to globalization and its consequences.
  2. Develop body of knowledge related to one of three Global Studies concentrations: global service, emerging powers, or transnational security and migration.

Core Skills

  1. Understand and apply theoretical frameworks for critically and systematically producing knowledge about global phenomena.
  2. Conceptualize and design a research project leading to a Master's Thesis. Conduct data collection according to established principles and engage in rigorous analysis.
  3. Critically evaluate significant global agents and issues within the unique context of the nations, cultures, and groups they impact.
  4. Develop increasing cultural awareness and proficiency in a foreign language.
  5. Hone professional skills and expertise valued within a broad range of professions.

Social Justice

  1. Develop an informed and critical understanding of issues related to globalization, human rights, sustainable development, and social justice.
  2. Understand how structural, cultural, and relational contexts shape systems of power, access, and equity.
  3. Ethically and critically produce interdisciplinary knowledge on the topic of globalization.
  4. Gain knowledge and perspectives needed to participate as informed citizens in a global society.

The general requirements for admission to the Graduate School, given in an earlier section of this Bulletin, apply to candidates for admission to this area of study. Candidates must also submit a personal statement that discusses their reasons for applying for this MA, and their academic training, career objectives, relevant experience, and current institutional affiliation (if any). A single sample of academic writing and two letters of recommendation are also required. Students are encouraged, though not required, to visit the campus and to talk to the director and others members of the faculty advisory committee.

Kristen Lucken, Director
(International and Global Studies, Religious Studies)

Jytte Klausen
(Politics)

Chandler Rosenberger
(Sociology)

Harleen Singh
(South Asian Studies)

Affiliated Faculty
Robert Art (Politics)
Kerry Chase (Politics)
Elizabeth Emma Ferry (Anthropology)
Gregory Freeze (History)
Gary Jefferson (Economics)
John Plotz (English)
Rajesh Sampath (Heller School)
Sara Shostak (Sociology)
Laurence Simon (Heller School)
Harleen Singh (South Asian Studies)

This accelerated BA/MA program at Brandeis is designed for outstanding undergraduates in the humanities or social sciences who are on track to complete all requirements for the undergraduate BA degree within four years at Brandeis, who are interested in pursuing graduate work in Global Studies, and who want to get a head start on their Global Studies thesis project. Successful undergraduate candidates have a 3.5 GPA or above in all IGS, Sociology, Anthropology, or Political Science courses taken, however, students with a GPA above a 3.3 will be considered.

Students complete the MA in Global Studies by taking advanced Global Studies courses in their senior (fourth) year and in one additional (fifth) year of study. The MA degree combines interdisciplinary study with intensive training in research, analysis, writing, and practical experience in preparation for professional work in the NGO sector, government agencies, international institutions, and academia.

Applications should be submitted by May 1 of the student's junior year.

Program of Study
In addition to completing their BA deree, students admitted to the program must fulfill the following requirements:

A. Two core courses: GS 201a (Global Agents) and GS 202b (Critical Global Issues)

B. One graduate-level course in methodology: GS 210a (Global Studies: Methods and Metrics)

C. Four elective courses which vary according to a student's interest or specialty

D. GS 204a (Master's Thesis)

Well-prepared undergraduate students who have fulfilled their major requirements may take up to two graduate-level courses in their senior year before launching their thesis project. A maximum of two courses may be transferred as part of the curricular requirements for the MA, but they do not count toward the 30 credit University requirement of on-campus study for the MA in Global Studies.

Students are exposed to a broad range of electives taught by our faculty experts and have flexibility in designing their own curriculum and thesis to match their own interests, though students are encouraged to consider following one of three concentrations listed in the MA section below.

Master's Thesis
Each student must sign up for the one semester, guided research course and prepare a major research paper between 60-70 pages in length on a field and subject relating to global studies. Students who choose to work with human subjects will submit an IRB proposal. The master’s thesis must be deposited electronically to the Robert D. Farber University Archives at Brandeis.

Language Requirement
All global studies students must have advanced training in a foreign language (defined as at least one level beyond the undergraduate requirement at Brandeis). In cases where students lack sufficient language training, they can satisfy this requirement either by taking the corresponding course at Brandeis (as an additional course) or by private study and a qualifying language examination at the end of the second semester.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement for this program is two semesters of full-time study. This would include the summer term for those attending the JBS program.

Graduate-level Methodology
Students will enroll in GS 210a (Global Studies: Methods and Metrics). This course explores and engages the major datasets used in contemporary global studies. The objective is to acquire hands-on experience in using this data and to develop working hypothesis about the processes of global change. Usually offered every year. If GS 210a is not offered, other graduate courses from relevant disciplines dealing with research methods may be substituted with the permission of the director.

Concentration Electives
Each student chooses two courses from an area of concentration related to their primary research interests. This coursework provides the basis for the student's research and writing of the Master's thesis. (Note that the Heller modules, courses indicated with an f after the number, receive half-course credit. Two modules must be completed to earn one course credit.)

Global Studies Speakers Series
In conjunction with the GS 202b (Critical Global Issues), our speakers series introduces students to a number of global professionals in academia, government, international institutions, development, and NGOs who address critical global issues encountered in their line of duty. This series provides a chance to interact with experts working on important global projects, explore career paths, and build professional networks. This series is part of our professional development initiative focused on preparing Global Studies students for their post-Brandeis careers.

Program of Study
This graduate program involves a minimum of one academic year in residence at Brandeis in which students complete eight courses, or a minimum of 32 academic credits to graduate. This includes seven semester-long courses and a master’s thesis course. Students may choose to exchange four Heller School module courses in place of two semester-long courses. The Global Studies curriculum includes four required and foundational courses, two electives in an area of concentration and two additional electives.

Students must successfully complete eight semester courses, including:

A. Two core courses: GS 201a (Global Agents), GS 202b (Critical Global Issues).
B. One graduate-level course in methodology: GS 210a (Global Studies: Methods and Metrics).
C. Four elective courses which vary according to interest or specialty.
D. GS 204a (Master’s Thesis).

Brandeis University's Master of Arts Program in Global Studies provides students with analytical and methodological skills to investigate globalization both specifically and generally -- specifically, by offering advanced training in one relevant academic concentration and independent research leading to a Master's thesis; and generally, by exposing students to a broad range of elective courses taught by our faculty experts. Our graduate program offers students flexibility in designing their own curriculum and thesis to match their own interests, though students are encouraged to consider following one of three tracks:

1. Global Service: Preparing to Work With Non-Profits

The Global Service concentration develops the tools needed to analyze, define, and address the most significant global issues emerging in the 21st century--- from human trafficking and refugees to global health and the environment. Our NGO Speakers' Series offers exposure to leaders and professionals who discuss the benefits and challenges of careers in the non-governmental sector. Preparing students to move from theory to practice is one of the defining features of the Global Service concentration, where students gain critical skills that provide traction in the job market.

The Global Service concentration offers:

  • Intensive training in research, analysis, and writing;
  • Solid foundation in the theories and practices related to global issues;
  • Development of skills and expertise valued within a broad range of professions impacted by globalization, such as non-profits, NGOs, and international service agencies;
  • Evidence-based practices, including program management and assessment;
  • Practical exercises related to NGO development, fund raising, building boards of directors, and connecting with a broad network of practitioners in the field;
  • Op-eds and policy memo exercises designed to build communication skills with broader audiences;
  • Speakers' series providing exposure to NGO and government representatives across a range of institutions offering in-depth knowledge about their field.

Global Studies | Global Service Courses

In addition to the Global Studies core curriculum, students are encouraged to enroll in half-semester skills courses at Brandeis' Heller School of Social Policy and Management. Two half-semester classes may serve in the place of one elective within your concentration. Classes include:

HS 237f Applied Cost-Benefit Analysis for Development Practitioners
HS 306f Survey Design and Data Analysis for Development
HS 292f Critical Thinking and Advanced Professional Writing
HS 244a Responsible Negotiation
HS 210a Coexistence and Conflict: Theory and Analysis
HS 220a Strategies for Coexistence Interventions
HS 319f Ethics, Rights, and Development
HS 310f Intro to Education and Development
HS 312f International Perspectives on Youth Policy and Programs
HS 207f Ecology of Health
HS 220f Energy, Security in a Carbon Constrained World
HS 282f Environmental Impact Assessment
HS 325f Right to Water

We also advise students to attend the Heller School's Career Seminars to review opportunities for employment after graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to attend at least four seminars throughout the year.

2. Emerging Powers

The Emerging Powers/Global History concentration draws on Brandeis' strengths in Latin American, South Asian, and East Asian studies to provide students with a background in the cultures, economies, and politics of newly-influential world powers, such as China, India, and Brazil, among others. The concentration will also give students the chance to update their knowledge of a rapidly changing global order.

This concentration will suit anyone interested in better understanding how the emergence of new global powers is changing global politics, economics, and culture. It is especially well-suited for:

  • Aspiring or active diplomats, businesspeople, and journalists who would like the chance to reflect on ways in which the rise of new powers (especially China and India) is changing the global order;
  • Teachers of world history who would like to pursue professional development by augmenting their understanding of emerging powers.

To provide access to people with full-time jobs (especially teachers), this concentration features an intensive summer semester and several late afternoon and evening classes.

Global Studies | Emerging Powers Courses

Students may choose from a wide range of classes on contemporary global affairs, with a particular emphasis on the shift in economic and political power toward the BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, and South Africa) countries. In addition to the core curriculum, students will choose four electives:

  • three in one area of geographical/topical area of concentration (South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, Europe);
  • one from an area outside the concentration

Students may complete three electives by participating in the Emerging Powers Justice Brandeis Semester, an intensive eight-week summer course that includes IGS/SAS 160aj (The Rise of India), CHIN 136bj (Chinese Modernism in International Context), and SOC 146bj (Globalization and Nationalism).

3. Transnational Security and Migration

Students in the security concentration have the rare opportunity to study one of the critical threats to the security of contemporary societies - that is, the threat posed by radically anti-Western terrorist networks in Europe and the United States. Students will also become familiar with the tools security experts now use to assess such threats; tools such as cutting-edge software and political science methods of network analysis.

Social Science Lab

Global Security concentration students have the chance to work in Professor Jytte Klausen's Social Science lab. The lab's current major project is on Western Jihadism, which collects and analyzes data about people involved in terrorist networks that are active in Europe and the United States. Internships in Professor Klausen's lab provide students with skills they can use in future careers in threat assessment and deterrence.

As researchers in the lab, students learn to use public source data for social sciences research on terrorism. Students are trained in designing datasets and data collection and translating qualitative information into quantitative data and metrics. (This class would serve as a core course in methodology.)

This training and research gives students the opportunity to publish single-author or coauthored Working Papers and articles on contemporary jihadism, as well as to prepare other public presentations on current security concerns.

Global Studies | Transnational Security and Migration Courses

All students in the Global Security concentration are required to take POL 160A: The War on Global Terrorism.

In addition to the Global Studies core curriculum, students also take three or four electives that will prepare them to understand the origins and nature of the terrorist groups. These classes may include:

ANTH 129a Global, Transnational, and Diasporic Communities
HIST 111a History of the Modern Middle East
HIST 112a Nationalism in the Middle East
IGS 130a Global Migration
POL 133a Contemporary Politics in the Middle East
POL 134b The Global Migration Crisis
POL 135b The Politics of Islamic Resurgence
POL 145b Muslims in the West: Politics, Religion, and Law
PSYC 32a Abnormal Psychology
SOC 122a Sociology of American Immigration
SOC 127a Religion, Ethnicity, and Nationalism

If you would like to create an independent concentration of study, you may focus on any number of topics related to globalization, including: Civil Society and Human Rights, Communications and Media, Culture and Globalization, Global and Regional Governance, Global Environment, Global Health, Global Political Economy, Immigration, Social Justice and Gender.

Residence Requirement
The residence requirement for this program is one year of full-time study. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.

Master’s Thesis
The master’s thesis must be deposited electronically to the Robert D. Farber University Archives at Brandeis.

Global Economy Requirement
Although this program does not offer advanced technical training in global economics, it is essential that students have a solid grasp of the basics in this field. Students entering the program without a strong background in the global economy will be required to take one elective course in this field, such as GS 203b, selected in consultation with the director.

Language Requirement
Knowledge of foreign languages, both written and oral, is important for understanding the complexity of other cultures, for functioning effectively in a non-Anglophone environment, and for accessing a broad range of primary sources and secondary literature. All Global Studies students must have advanced training in a foreign language, defined as at least one level beyond the undergraduate requirement at Brandeis. In cases where students lack sufficient language training, they can satisfy this requirement by an intensive summer course (either the semester before or after the residence year), by taking the corresponding course at Brandeis (as an additional course) or by private study and a qualifying language examination at the end of the second semester.

(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students

GS 201a Global Agents
A foundational seminar providing an introduction to the literature on globalization as well as a look at the key players in international affairs (UN, World Bank/IMF, TNCs, NGOs, and regional organizations). The objective of the course is to make a critical analysis of these organizations and to assess the research resources and databases they generate. Usually offered every year.
Chandler Rosenberger

GS 202b Critical Global Issues
This foundational seminar examines key issues from the primary area of concentration in the global studies program. The specific focus of the seminar will vary from year to year, reflecting the changing relevance of particular issues as well as the specific interests of the instructor. Usually offered every year.
Kristen Lucken

GS 204a Master's Thesis
Staff

GS 210a Global Studies: Methods and Metrics
Explores and engages the major datasets used in contemporary global studies. The objective is to acquire hands-on experience in using this data and to develop working hypothesis about the processes of global change. Usually offered every year.
Gregory Freeze

GS 301a Readings and Research in Global Studies
Richard Parmentier

Global Studies: Core Courses

GS 201a Global Agents
A foundational seminar providing an introduction to the literature on globalization as well as a look at the key players in international affairs (UN, World Bank/IMF, TNCs, NGOs, and regional organizations). The objective of the course is to make a critical analysis of these organizations and to assess the research resources and databases they generate. Usually offered every year.
Chandler Rosenberger

GS 202b Critical Global Issues
This foundational seminar examines key issues from the primary area of concentration in the global studies program. The specific focus of the seminar will vary from year to year, reflecting the changing relevance of particular issues as well as the specific interests of the instructor. Usually offered every year.
Kristen Lucken

GS 204a Master's Thesis
Staff

GS 210a Global Studies: Methods and Metrics
Explores and engages the major datasets used in contemporary global studies. The objective is to acquire hands-on experience in using this data and to develop working hypothesis about the processes of global change. Usually offered every year.
Gregory Freeze

Global Studies: Alternative Methodology Courses

If GS 210a is not offered, students may choose an appropriate methods course that will help them design and implement their research projects. Other graduate courses from relevant disciplines dealing with research methods may be considered with the permission of the director.

ANTH 202b Advanced Ethnographic Research Methods
An intensive study of anthropological research and ethnographic practice, with particular attention to topic formation, field notes and evocative writing. Combines discussions ethnography with writing workshops. Readings include essays on research methodology and critiques of ethnographic practice, as well as ethnographic monographs that demonstrate sophisticated fieldwork practices. Writing workshops cover issues such as taking notes in the field and describing scenes, speech in action, characters, language and affect. Usually offered every second year.
Jonathan Anjaria

HS 306f Survey Design and Data Analysis for Development
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Provides students with an introduction to survey design and applied principles of data analysis in development. Topics include research design (hypothesis formulation, model building), data collection (principles of survey design, definition and measurement of variables, cross-sectional and panel surveys, focus groups and pilot tests), and data analysis (statistical and social significance; univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis). Usually offered every year.
Ricardo Godoy

POL 50b Political Science Methods: Research, Design, and Modes of Analysis
[ qr ss ]
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher. May not be taken for credit by students who took POL 100b in prior years.
An introduction to nonstatistical research methods for analyzing political processes. Moves from selecting problems to composing a focused research question, examining relevant theory, conceptualizing variables, generating hypotheses, research design, research operations, and analysis. Uses examples from comparative, international, and American politics. Usually offered every year.
Jill Greenlee

POL 212a Graduate Seminar: Research Methods and Methodology
Familiarizes students with the major research techniques of a qualitative nature for political science and addresses central issues in the logic of inquiry in social science. Issues and techniques include the case study method, the comparative method, counterfactual, and research design. Usually offered every second year.
Daniel Kryder

SOC 136b Historical and Comparative Sociology
[ ss ]
Explores the relationship between sociology and history through examples of scholarship from both disciplines. Using historical studies, the course pays close attention to each author's research strategy. Examines basic research questions, theoretical underpinnings and assumptions, and uses of evidence. Usually offered every third year.
Chandler Rosenberger or Karen Hansen

Global Studies: Global Service Courses

This is a suggested list of courses related to globalization within the concentration.

AAAS 125b Caribbean Women and Globalization: Sexuality, Citizenship, Work
[ ss wi ]
Utilizing perspectives from sociology, anthropology, fiction, and music to examine the relationship between women's sexuality and conceptions of labor, citizenship, and sovereignty. The course considers these alongside conceptions of masculinity, contending feminisms, and the global perspective. Usually offered every second year.
Faith Smith

ANTH 142b Global Pandemics: History, Society, and Policy
[ nw ss ]
Takes a biosocial approach to pandemics like HIV/AIDS, SARS, and Ebola as shaped not simply by biology, but also by culture, economics, politics, and history. Discussion focuses on how gender, sexuality, religion, and folk practices shape pandemic situations. Usually offered every fourth year.
Elanah Uretsky

HS 110a Wealth and Poverty
[ ss ]
Examines why the gap between richer and poorer citizens appears to be widening in the United States and elsewhere, what could be done to reverse this trend, and how the widening disparity affects major issues of public policy. Usually offered every year.
Tom Shapiro

HS 143a Social Justice and Philanthropy
[ ss ]
May not be taken for credit by students who took SOC 143a in prior years.
Examines the role of philanthropy in American society including individual, institutional, and societal-level factors that affect philanthropic efforts to create social change and the relationship between social justice and philanthropy. Students explore philanthropy from both theoretical and practical perspectives using an academic framework grounded in sociological theory and a semester-long experiential learning exercise in real-dollar grantmaking. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HS 210a Coexistence and Conflict: Theory and Analysis
Open only to students enrolled in the MA program in coexistence and conflict. Other students considered with permission of the instructor.
Participants will study the current and developing theories about the causes of tension, conflict and violence within and between many societies, and at global level. In particular this course will address the ‘new’ wars that characterize the world today where issues of identity, ethnicity, race, religion, culture and nationalism are seminal to the conflicts. The course will be inclusive of all the stages of such conflicts from e.g. emerging tensions in societies at national and at global level, and the prevention, mitigation and resolution of violent conflicts, as well as post-violence and post settlement strategies. Usually offered every year.
Mari Fitzduff

HS 220a Coexistence Intervention, Monitoring and Evaluation
Open only to students enrolled in the MA program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence. Other students considered with permission of the instructor.
Provides an introductory review of the core concepts and practical steps of design, monitoring and evaluation in the field of coexistence and peacebuilding. The course will stress participatory methods in monitoring and evaluation, in which multiple stakeholders are involved in the process of planning, collecting, interpreting, synthesizing, and using information. The course will feature case studies and actual DM&E plans and evaluation reports. Usually offered every year.
Isabella Jean

HS 220f Renewable Energy for Development
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Access to inexpensive energy is fundamental to human well-being and economic development. There are two glaring failures in this otherwise happy moment in history. First there is a failure of fair access, with 1 in 5 people still living with no electricity at all - these are the energy poor. The second failure relates to our use of poor energy, primarily fossil fuels, major hydro, and conventional nuclear power. For SID graduates to fully appreciate the nature of these two kinds of energy challenges, and to potentially work in organizations focused on overcoming these challenges, it is necessary to master some of the fundamentals of both climate and energy science. The aim of this course is to provide sufficient climate and energy literacy to allow you to accurately analyze, compare, and critique different solutions, specifically by improving your understanding of energy technologies and of energy-related policies and programs, including the evolving international framework of low-carbon pro-poor technology transfer. Usually offered every year.
Eric Olson

HS 225a Fundraising and Development
Offers a basic grounding in key concepts of private fundraising and development. It explores management and leadership issues associated with the rapidly changing field of development and philanthropy, especially within development NGOs. Students learn to analyze, plan, and evaluate a comprehensive fundraising program and create a professional fundraising portfolio. Usually offered every year.
David Whalen

HS 237f Applied Cost-Benefit Analysis for Development Practitioners
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the private sector, and international development organizations have to decide whether to invest in projects. Benefit-cost analysis has become a standard method to evaluate the net monetary benefits of a project. This course introduces students to these principles and allows them to apply them by using cost-benefit analysis to evaluate a real-world development project. Usually offered every year.
Ricardo Godoy

HS 244a Responsible Negotiation
Provides concepts, observations and suggestions to improve analytical and operational negotiation skills. Everyone negotiates on a daily basis, but what about doing it responsibly? Faced with projects, contracts, conflicts or crises, coping with people, problems and process, how can negotiators lever the right reflections and actions in the right direction? How can they optimize utility for themselves and for others? This course also addresses negotiation foundations on how to do first things first, i.e. how to make the right moves at the right time in order to reach the right decisions and to achieve ad hoc implementation. Usually offered every year.
Alain Lempereur

HS 266a Introduction to Economics for Development Practitioners
Yields half-course credit. May not be taken for credit by students who took HS 266f in prior years.
Provides a foundation in economics for discerning, creative, and forward thinking development practitioners. It explores selected economic theories, historical perspectives, empirical lessons, analytical tools, and alternative proposals that are particularly relevant to sustainable international development. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HS 277f Introduction to Planning and Implementation
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Studies analytical methods utilized in development planning. The issues and methods of project implementation are taught. Drawing on case studies the class examines the complex interactions between beneficiary communities, social mobilization, training, marketing strategies, and other factors that affect achievements.
Joseph Assan

HS 282f Environmental Impact Assessment
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Provides students with a working knowledge of the purpose and process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). EIA is examined as a planning tool that can anticipate negative environmental and social impacts; increasing benefits, social acceptance, and durability of development projects while reducing their cost to budgets, communities, and the environment. Usually offered every year.
Eric Olson

HS 292f Critical Thinking and Advanced Professional Writing
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Develops advanced critical thinking skills, models of logical argumentation and debate, reading comprehension and advanced writing skills geared for professionals and practitioners in foundations, NGOS, government sectors and civil society organizations. Although we will focus on needs of sustainable international development, professionals and practitioners from other fields are most welcome, namely public policy, social policy and coexistence and conflict. Usually offered every year.
Joan Dassin or Rajesh Sampath

HS 297f Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
A primer for non-specialists on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its capabilities as a tool for planning and monitoring. Students learn how to determine an organization’s GIS requirements, focus on those requirements during planning, and apply the requirements to assess the size and scope of the system needed. Includes a computer lab. Usually offered every semester.
Staff

HS 299f NGOs: Strategic Planning
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Introduces concepts, techniques, and skills related to organizational strategy; and strategic action, management, and planning for civil society and non-governmental development organizations Concepts considered include elements of strategic planning; assessing environmental factors; clarifying organizational values, vision, mission, and goals; and developing programs and services to achieve organizational goals. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HS 306f Survey Design and Data Analysis for Development
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Provides students with an introduction to survey design and applied principles of data analysis in development. Topics include research design (hypothesis formulation, model building), data collection (principles of survey design, definition and measurement of variables, cross-sectional and panel surveys, focus groups and pilot tests), and data analysis (statistical and social significance; univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis). Usually offered every year.
Ricardo Godoy

HS 310f Introduction to Education and Development
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Examines the relationship between education and development, especially the pivotal question of whether education reduces poverty. Starting with a review of the state of education at the global level, the course then examines positive and negative theories about the role of education in development. It analyzes innovative policies and programs in educational policy areas, such as girls’ education, with high potential for producing positive development impacts. The course also considers the impacts of educational technology and new methods for teaching and learning, as well as the most current assessment strategies and tools to monitor and evaluate policy choices and programs in the education sector.
Joan Dassin

HS 319f Ethics, Rights, and Development
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Explores philosophical and ethical foundations of human rights as related to development studies, policy, and practice. Students look at complex political, economic, and cultural conditions to apply rights to advance sustainable development. Contemporary debates on human rights as a tool to define and realize justice and alleviate human suffering - such as poverty, hunger, and other detriments to health and environment - are examined. Usually offered every year.
Rajesh Sampath

HS 325f The Right to Water
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Explores practical applications of the human right to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation from a science and policy perspective. It takes an interdisciplinary perspective to issues of water, focusing on geography, social arrangements, and government choices that impact access to water at the household level. Modes of decision-making with regard to water policy are examined from technical and rights perspectives. Usually offered every year.
Eric Olson

POL 164a Seminar: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East
[ ss ]
Provides students with historical and analytic mastery of the Arab- Israeli conflict in a novel way. Through immersion in three competing narratives - Israeli, Palestinian, and pan-Arab - students will gain proficiency in the history of the conflict as well as analytic leverage on the possibility of its resolution. The course is organized as a seminar and is premised on active student participation. Usually offered every year.
Shai Feldman

REL 107a Introduction to World Religions
[ hum nw ]
An introduction to the study of religion; this core course surveys and broadly explores some of the major religions across the globe.
Kristen Lucken

SOC 124a Gender, Sexuality, and Globalization
[ ss ]
Introduces theories of gender, sexuality, and transnational feminism. Uses sociological research to examine labor, social movements, politics, and culture in global perspective, emphasizing Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Usually offered every second year.
Gowri Vijayakumar

Global Studies: Emerging Powers Courses

This is a suggested list of courses related to globalization within the concentration.

ANTH 158a Urban Worlds
[ ss ]
Explores some of the essential concepts of urban theory and conducts an in-depth study of urban experiences around the world. Topics include the city and marginality, urban modernity, gender and public space, gentrification, suburbanization, transgression, and urban nature. Case studies may be from cities such as Mumbai, Lagos, New York, Paris, Dubai, and Rio de Janeiro. Usually offered every second year.
Jonathan Anjaria

ANTH 178b Culture, Gender and Power in East Asia
[ nw ss ]
Examines the role of culture in changing gender power relations in East Asia by exploring how the historical legacy of Confucianism in the region influences the impact of changes such as the constitutional proclamation of gender equality and rapid industrialization. Usually offered every third year.
Elanah Uretsky

CHIN 130b China on Film: The Changes of Chinese Culture
[ hum nw ]
Taught in English. All films viewed have English subtitles.
Focuses on the enormous changes under way in Chinese society, politics, and culture. Helps students to identify and understand these fundamental transformations through a representative, exciting selection of readings and films. Usually offered every second spring.
Staff

CHIN 136b Chinese Modernism in International Context
[ hum nw ]
Taught in English.
Examines the origins, recurrences, and metamorphosis of modernistic styles and movements in twentieth-century Chinese literature, film, fine art, and intellectual discourses. Usually offered every second year.
Pu Wang

HIST 176b Japan and Korea in Modern World History
[ nw ss ]
Investigates the long and problematic history of interactions and exchanges between Japan and Korea from early times to the present. Topics include language, migration, art, architecture, material culture, popular culture, propaganda, and warfare. Usually offered every third year.
Heyward James

HIST 178b Britain and India: Connected Histories
[ ss wi ]
Surveys the history of Britain and India from the rise of the East India Company to the present. Explores cultural and economic exchanges; shifts in power and phases of imperial rule; resistance and collaboration; nationalism; decolonization and partition; and postcolonial legacies. Usually offered every second year.
Hannah Muller

HIST 180a The Global Opium Trade: 1755-Present
[ nw ss ]
Investigates the history of the opium trade from early times to present. Coverage will include the Anglo-Indian opium trade, the Opium Wars; the political economy of the legal trade; and the complex ramifications of its prohibition. Usually offered every third year.
Heyward James

HIST 182b Modern China
[ nw ss ]
Surveys Chinese history from the Ming to Mao, with an emphasis on political, social, cultural, and literary trends; and attention toward ethnic minorities and overseas communities and diaspora. Usually offered every year.
Xing Hang

HIST 185a The China Outside China: Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Diaspora in the Making of Modern China
[ nw ss wi ]
Studies the history of Chinese outside Mainland China, from Hong Kong and Taiwan to Siberia and Africa, from fifteenth century to present day. Ambivalence to ancestral and adopted homelands made these communities valuable agents of transnational exchange and embodiments of Chinese modernity. Usually offered every third year.
Xing Hang

POL 147a Seminar: The Government and Politics of China
[ nw ss ]
Introduction to major themes of Chinese politics, emphasizing the rise of the Chinese Communists and the post-1949 trends in domestic politics, while also surveying historical, sociological, and cultural influences in Chinese politics. Attention to the nature of the traditional state, impact of colonialism, national revolution, and the course of contemporary state development. Usually offered every second year.
Ralph Thaxton

POL 148a Seminar: Contemporary Chinese Politics
[ nw ss ]
A broad and in-depth understanding of key issues in contemporary Chinese politics--China after 1949. Emphasis on the role of the state in promoting economic development, social betterment, political stability, and justice. Special attention to the Tiananmen Protest Movement of 1989. Usually offered every second year.
Ralph Thaxton

POL 179a Seminar: China's Global Rise: The Challenge to Democratic Order
[ nw ss wi ]
Explores the implications of China's global rise for the global democratic order constructed by the United States in the aftermath of World War II. Among other issues, we will ask whether China's international strategy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America poses a serious challenge to democratic nations and their support for democratization. Usually offered every second year.
Ralph Thaxton

REL 151a The Buddha: His Life and Teachings
[ hum nw ]
Few human beings have had as much impact on the world as Siddhartha Gotama Shakyamuni, known to us as Buddha. This course explores his life and teachings as reflected in early Buddhist literature and Western scholarship. Usually offered every year.
Staff

REL 161a Chinese Religion and Thought: Understanding Confucianism and Daoism (Taoism)
[ hum nw ]
This course aims at widening and deepening students' knowledge of world religions by introducing to them distinctive Chinese religions and schools of thought with emphasis on two most significant ones, namely, Confucianism and Taoism. Usually offered every second year.
Yu Feng

REL/SAS 152a Introduction to Hinduism
[ hum nw ]
Introduces Hindu practice and thought. Explores broadly the variety of forms, practices, and philosophies that have been developing from the time of the Vedas (ca. 1500 BCE) up to present day popular Hinduism practiced in both urban and rural India. Examines the relations between Hindu religion and its wider cultural, social, and political contexts, relations between the Hindu majority of India and minority traditions, and questions of Hindu identity both in India and abroad. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

SAS 100a India and Pakistan: Understanding South Asia
[ nw ss ]
An exploration of the history, societies, cultures, religions, and literature of South Asia--India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Uses perspectives from history, anthropology, literature, and film to examine past and contemporary life in South Asia. Usually offered every year.
Jonathan Anjaria, Ulka Anjaria, or Harleen Singh

SAS 101a South Asian Women Writers
[ hum nw ]
Includes literature by South Asian women writers such as Amrita Pritam, Ismat Chugtai, Jhumpa Lahiri, Kamila Shamsie, Tahmina Anam, and Chandini Lokuge. Some of the works were originally written in English, while others have been translated from the vernacular. Usually offered every second year.
Harleen Singh

SAS 150b Indian Film: The Three-Hour Dream
[ hum nw ]
A study of Hindi films made in India since 1947 with a few notable exceptions from regional film, as well as some recent films made in English. Students will read Hindi films as texts/narratives of the nation to probe the occurrence of cultural, religious, historical, political, and social themes. Usually offered every third year.
Harleen Singh

Global Studies: Transnational Security and Migration Courses

This is a suggested list of courses related to globalization within the concentration.

ANTH 129b Global, Transnational and Diasporic Communities
[ ss ]
Examines the social and cultural dimensions of diasporas and homelands from an anthropological perspective. It starts by critically engaging with more fundamental concepts such as state, identity, and movement. It then proceeds to debate the various contributions that anthropologists have presented to the understanding of human life in transnational and diasporic contexts. Topics to be discussed include homeland, place, migration, religion, global sexual cultures, kinship, and technology—all within a global perspective. Usually offered every second year.
Jonathan Anjaria or Sarah Lamb

HIST 111a History of the Modern Middle East
[ nw ss ]
An examination of the history of the Middle East from the nineteenth century to contemporary times. Focuses on political events and intellectual trends, such as imperialism, modernity, nationalism, and revolution, that have shaped the region in the modern era. Usually offered every second year.
Naghmeh Sohrabi

HIST 112a Nationalism in the Middle East
[ nw ss ]
Seminar examining the history of nationalism in the modern Middle East. Covers divergent theories and practices of nationalism in the region, and explores the roles of gender, memory, historiography, and art in the formation and articulation of Middle East nationalisms. Usually offered every second year.
Naghmeh Sohrabi

IGS 130a Global Migration
[ ss ]
Investigates the social, cultural, religious, political, and economic forces that shape global migration. More than 200 million people now live outside their countries of birth. Case studies include Europe, the U.S. and Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Africa, and China's internal migration. Usually offered every second year.
Kristen Lucken

LGLS 123b Immigration and Human Rights
[ ss ]
Examines American immigration policy in the context of international human rights treaties and global practices. Practical exercises highlight social and cultural controversies surrounding refugee status and asylum seeking. Explores tensions between domestic politics and international law in guiding immigration reform. Usually offered every second year.
Douglas Smith

LGLS 130a Conflict Analysis and Intervention
[ oc ss ]
Examines alternatives to litigation, including negotiation and mediation. Through simulations and court observations, students assess their own attitudes about and skills in conflict resolution. Analyzes underlying theories in criminal justice system, divorce, adoption, and international arena. Usually offered every second year.
Melissa Stimell

POL 123a Seminar: Political Psychology
[ ss wi ]
Open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students.
Explores public opinion, political socialization, and political behavior through the lens of psychology. Applying psychological theory to traditional topics in political science is emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Jill Greenlee

POL 127b Seminar: Managing Ethnic Conflict
[ ss wi ]
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher.
Comparative study of the sources and character of interethnic conflict, with emphasis on the processes by which groups become politicized, and the strategies and techniques for managing conflict in a democratic system. Usually offered every year.
Steven Burg

POL 128a The Politics of Revolution: State Violence and Popular Insurgency in the Third World
[ nw ss ]
Introduction to twentieth-century revolutionary movements in the Third World, focusing on the emergence of peasant-based resistance and revolution in the world beyond the West, and on the role of state violence in provoking popular involvement in protest, rebellion, and insurgency. Usually offered every year.
Ralph Thaxton

POL 133a Contemporary Politics in the Middle East
[ nw ss ]
Introduces the politics of the region through the study of regimes in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel. Themes include the political legacy of colonialism, the challenge of ethnic pluralism, the rise of political Islam, the politics of gender, the role of the military in politics, the dynamics of regime survival, the persistence of authoritarianism and the prospects for democratization, and the implications of the Arab spring for the future of the region. Usually offered every third year.
Eva Bellin

POL 134b The Global Migration Crisis
[ ss wi ]
Looks at immigration from the perspectives of policy-makers, migrants, and the groups affected by immigration in sender nations as well as destination countries. Introduces students to the history of migration policy, core concepts and facts about migration in the West, and to the theories and disagreements among immigrant scholars. Usually offered every second year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 145b Seminar: Muslims in the West: Politics, Religion, and Law
[ ss ]
Few issues have caused more public furor than the accommodation of Islam in Europe and the United States. It is often overlooked that Muslims are developing the institutions of their faith in societies that offer everyone the freedom of choice and expression. This seminar looks at religious discrimination as a barrier to the civic and political inclusion of Muslim immigrants, the responses of governments, courts, and the general public, and what we know about the balance among "fundamentalist, " "moderate," and "progressive" Muslim viewpoints. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 160a The War on Global Terrorism
[ ss ]
Intended for juniors and seniors, but open to all students.
Explores how 9/11 changed our lives. The course surveys the build-up of Al Queda leading up to the 9/11 attacks and ten years of counter terrorism. Students are given an introduction to Jihadist doctrines and Al Queda's structure, as well as theories about the cause of terrorism. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 173a Seminar: U.S. Foreign Economic Policy
[ oc ss wi ]
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above.
Presents the history and politics of the foreign economic policy in the United States. Emphasis is on political and economic considerations that influence the domestic actors and institutions involved in the formulation of policy. Usually offered every year.
Kerry Chase

POL 174b Seminar: Problems of National Security
[ ss ]
Analysis of the role and utility of military power in international politics. Selected case studies from the last fifty years. Selected topics on post-Cold War military issues, including the spread of weapons of mass destruction, collective approaches to coercion, and the role of U.S. military power in world stability. Usually offered every year.
Robert Art

PSYC 32a Abnormal Psychology
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: PSYC 10a (formerly PSYC 1a).
A general introduction to psychopathology. Various theoretical models will be discussed. The techniques and findings of research, clinical, and experimental will be emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Raymond Knight and Ellen Wright

SOC 122a The Sociology of American Immigration
[ ss ]
Most of us descend from immigrants. Focusing on the United States but in a global perspective, we address the following questions: Why do people migrate? How does this affect immigrants' occupations, gendered households, rights, identities, youth, and race relations with other groups? Usually offered every second year.
Kristen Lucken

Global Studies: Elective Courses

Each student must successfully complete two elective courses relevant to their chosen area of concentration. This coursework provides the basis for the student's research and writing of the Masters Thesis. (Note that the Heller School modules, courses indicated with an "f" after the course number, are half-semester courses; two such modules must be chosen to constitute one elective course.) Students may take graduate-level courses other than the ones listed below with the permission of the director.

AAAS 126b Political Economy of the Third World
[ nw ss wi ]
Development of capitalism and different roles and functions assigned to all "Third Worlds," in the periphery as well as the center. Special attention will be paid to African and Afro-American peripheries. Usually offered every year.
Wellington Nyangoni

AAAS 134b Novel and Film of the African Diaspora
[ hum nw ]
Writers and filmmakers, who are usually examined separately under national or regional canonical categories such as "(North) American," "Latin American," "African," "British," or "Caribbean," are brought together here to examine transnational identities and investments in "authentic," "African," or "black" identities. Usually offered every third year.
Faith Smith

AAAS 163b Africa in World Politics
[ nw ss ]
Explores the impact of African states in world affairs; the African and Afro-Asian groups in the United Nations; relations with Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Americas; the Afro-Asian movement; nonalignment; the Organization of African Unity; and Pan-Africanism. Usually offered every second year.
Wellington Nyangoni

AMST 140b The Asian American Experience
[ oc ss ]
Examines the political, economic, social, and contemporary issues related to Asians in the United States from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. Topics include patterns of immigration and settlement, and individual, family, and community formation explored through history, literature, personal essays, films, and other popular media sources. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

ANTH 121a Crossing Cultural Boundaries
[ ss ]
May not be taken for credit by students who have taken ANTH 33b in prior years.
An examination of situations where individuals, either actually or imaginatively, willingly or unwillingly, cross over the boundaries separating their own culture and other cultural traditions. The understandings and misunderstandings that result from these encounters are examined in primary texts and images and in scholarly reconstructions. Transient experiences are compared with sites that develop over a long period of time (colonial settlements, plantations, frontiers). Potentials for reflexive self-understanding and meaningful dialogue are sought in fictional and nonfictional representations of boundary crossings. Usually offered every second year.
Staff

ANTH 127a Medicine, Body, and Culture
[ nw ss ]
Examines main areas of inquiry in medical anthropology, including medicine as a sociocultural construct, political and economic dimensions of suffering and health, patients and healers in comparative medical systems, and the medical construction of men's and women's bodies. Usually offered every year.
Sarah Lamb or Anita Hannig

ANTH 130b Visuality and Culture
[ ss ]
Introduces students to the study of visual, aural, and artistic media through an ethnographic lens. Course combines written and creative assignments to understand how culture shapes how we make meaning out of images and develop media literacy. Topics include ethnographic/documentary film, advertising, popular culture, viral videos and special effects, photography, art worlds, and the technological development of scientific images. Usually offered every second year.
Patricia Alvarez or Ellen Schattschneider

ANTH 139b Language, Ethnicity, and Nationalism
[ ss ]
It is often assumed that language differences divide people, while a common language unites them. To what extent is this true? Taking cross-cultural and historical approaches, we examine the role of language in creating concepts of tribe, ethnicity, and nation. Explores what kinds of social groupings these terms might label, some ideologies connected with their use, and their relationship with communication systems. Usually offered every second year.
Janet McIntosh

ANTH 144a The Anthropology of Gender
[ nw ss wi ]
This course offers a 2-credit optional Experiential Learning practicum.
Examines gender constructs, sexuality, and cultural systems from a comparative perspective. Topics include the division of labor, rituals of masculinity and femininity, the vexing question of the universality of women's subordination, cross-cultural perspectives on same-sex sexualities and transsexuality, the impact of globalization on systems, and the history of feminist anthropology. Usually offered every year.
Anita Hannig, Sarah Lamb or Ellen Schattschneider

ANTH 163b Production, Consumption, and Exchange
[ nw ss ]
Prerequisite: ANTH 1a, ECON 2a, ECON 10a, or permission of the instructor.
We read in newspapers and books and hear in everyday discussion about "the economy," an identifiably separate sphere of human life with its own rules and principles and its own scholarly discipline (economics). The class starts with the premise that this "common sense" idea of the economy is only one among a number of possible perspectives on the ways people use resources to meet their basic and not-so-basic human needs. In the course, we draw on cross-cultural examples, and take a look at the cultural aspects of finance, corporations, and markets. Usually offered every second year.
Elizabeth Ferry

BIOL 134b Topics in Ecology
[ oc sn ]
Prerequisites: BIOL 23a, or permission of the instructor. Topics may vary from year to year. Please consult the Course Schedule for topic and description. Course may be repeated once for credit with permission of the instructor.
Annually, a different aspect of the global biosphere is selected for analysis. In any year the focus may be on specific ecosystems (e.g., terrestrial, aquatic, tropical, arctic), populations, system modeling, restoration ecology, or other aspects of ecology. Usually offered every year.
Dan Perlman

ENG 127b Migrating Bodies, Migrating Texts
[ hum nw ]
Beginning with the region's representation as a tabula rasa, examines the textual and visual constructions of the Caribbean as colony, homeland, backyard, paradise, and Babylon, and how the region's migrations have prompted ideas about evolution, hedonism, imperialism, nationalism, and diaspora. Usually offered every second year.
Faith Smith

HIST 179a Labor, Gender, and Exchange in the Atlantic World, 1600-1850
[ ss ]
An examination of the interaction of cultures in the Atlantic World against a backdrop of violence, conquest, and empire-building. Particular attention is paid to the structure and function of power relations, gender orders, labor systems, and exchange networks. Usually offered every second year.
Govind Sreenivasan

HIST 215a World History
Designed to introduce students to the methods, sources, and writings about global and non-Western histories. Taught collectively by specialists in Latin American, Asian, African, and Middle Eastern history. Usually offered every second year.
Govind Sreenivasan

HS 236a International Health Systems and Development
Provides students with the framework to understand how health systems are organized and to understand what affects their performance. Students also will be able to describe key features of health systems; how health system performance is measured; and how lessons from other countries can be applied to their own countries. The course examines different health system frameworks, how to use these frameworks to ask health system questions, different aspects of health systems, how national health systems differ, and what measures are being implemented in different countries to improve their health system performance and eventually health outcomes. The course will also take a broader look at the relationships between health policy, economic policy and development policy, examining some of the main economic and development theories shaping global policies and also examine the international institutions and political dynamics in health policy making. Usually offered every year.
Diana Bowser

HS 269f Food Security and Nutrition
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Examines the interconnectedness of agricultural policy and planning, food policy, nutrition policy, and outcomes of nutritional status. Students explore definitions of "hunger” and “malnutrition." The planning and analytical process of defining nutritional problems at the village and household level are discussed, along with appropriate technologies and techniques to resolve food security problems. Usually offered every year.
Staff

HS 283f Gender and Development
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Examines politics and policies of international development from a gender-sensitive perspective. Concepts of "development" and “gender” are framed within historical and political contexts. Students examine how development affects women and men differently according to class, ethnicity, geography, age, and seniority. Ways in which gender asymmetries have been addressed in development and approaches to mainstreaming gender are explored. Usually offered every year.
Cristina Espinosa

HS 293f Religion and Development
Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit.
Explores the world’s different faith traditions and how they define and treat the problem of poverty. The class takes a critical look at conditions by which religion provides a source of liberation from human suffering and strategies for sustainable development. Students also examine how power is transformed along gender, class, racial, ethnic, and national lines when religions confront one another. Usually offered every year.
Rajesh Sampath

HSSP 102a Introduction to Global Health
[ ss ]
A primer on major issues in health care in developing nations. Topics include the natural history of disease and levels of prevention; epidemiological transitions; health disparities; and determinants of health including culture, social context, and behavior. Also covers: infectious and chronic disease incidence and prevalence; the role of nutrition, education, reproductive trends, and poverty; demographic transition including aging and urbanization; the structure and financing of health systems; and the globalization of health. Usually offered every year.
Staff

NEJS 183b Global Jewish Literature
[ hum wi ]
May not be taken for credit by students who took NEJS 171a in prior years.
Introduces important works of modern Jewish literature, graphic fiction, and film. Taking a comparative approach, it addresses major themes in contemporary Jewish culture, interrogates the "Jewishness" of the works and considers issues of language, poetics, and culture significant to Jewish identity. Usually offered every second year.
Ellen Kellman

PHIL 126a What Does it Mean to be a Global Citizen?
[ hum wi ]
May not be taken for credit by students who took PHIL 20a in prior years.
Focuses on the relation of the individual to the state and, in particular, on the theory and practice of nonviolent resistance, its aims, methods, achievements, and legitimacy. Examines the nature of obligation and the role of civil disobedience in a democratic society. Explores the conflict between authority and autonomy and the grounds for giving one's allegiance to any state at all. Examples include opposition to the nuclear arms race, and disobedience in China and Northern Ireland and at abortion clinics. Usually offered every second year.
Andreas Teuber

POL 127a Ending Deadly Conflict
[ ss wi ]
Prerequisite: POL 127b or permission of the instructor.
Examines strategies for ending violent internal (primarily ethnic) conflicts, with emphasis on identifying conditions conducive to negotiated settlements. Case studies are examined in light of analytical literature. Usually offered every second year.
Steven Burg

POL 137b Seminar: Psychology of Political Violence
[ ss ]
Why do people become terrorists? Social scientists argue that organizations use terrorism because it is a rational means for obtaining their objectives. But why do individuals sacrifice themselves for a cause? Drawing on behavioral economics and criminal psychology in addition to political sociology, the course will review new approaches to the study of extreme political violence. Usually offered every year.
Jytte Klausen

POL 172b Seminar: International Political Economy
[ ss ]
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or higher.
The politics and modern evolution of international economic relations, comprising trade, money, multinational productions, and development. Also the role of states and transnational actors in international markets and the global differentiation of power, and distribution of wealth. Usually offered every year.
Kerry Chase

POL 214b Graduate Seminar: Selected Topics in World Politics
Provides graduate students an opportunity to engage in research and discussion of selected issues in the international dimensions of world politics. Each term it deals with a different topic in greater depth than is possible in the context of the program's field seminar in this area. Usually offered every second year.
Robert Art or Kerry Chase

SAS 140a We Who Are at Home Everywhere: Narratives from the South Asian Diaspora
[ hum ]
Looks at narratives from various locations of the South Asian Diaspora, while paying close attention to the emergence of an immigrant South Asian public culture. Examines novels, poetry, short stories, film, and music in order to further an understanding of South Asian immigrant culture. Usually offered every third year.
Harleen Singh

SOC 120b Globalization and the Media
[ ss ]
Investigates the phenomenon of globalization as it relates to mass media. Topics addressed include the growth of transnational media organizations, the creation of audiences that transcend territorial groupings, the hybridization of cultural styles, and the consequences for local identities. Usually offered every second year.
Laura Miller

SOC 146a Mass Communication Theory
[ ss wi ]
An examination of key theories in mass communication, including mass culture, hegemony, the production of culture, and public sphere. Themes discussed include the nature of media effects, the role of the audience, and the extent of diversity in the mass media. Usually offered every year.
Laura Miller

SOC 168a Democracy and Inequality in Global Perspective
[ ss ]
Can democracy survive great inequalities of wealth and status? In authoritarian countries, does inequality inspire revolution or obedience? What role does culture play in determining which inequalities are tolerable and which are not? Cases include the United States, India, and China. Usually offered every second year.
Chandler Rosenberger

SOC 189a Sociology of Body and Health
[ ss ]
Explores theoretical considerations of the body as a cultural phenomenon intersecting with health, healing, illness, disease, and medicine. Focuses on how gender, race, class, religion, and other dimensions of social organization shape individual experiences and opportunities for agency and resistance. Usually offered every year.
Sara Shostak