Spring 2009 Global Village Course Offerings

The Global Village Living Learning Center is offering the following courses for Spring 2009.

GLLC-S104-14140 Immigration and Ethnic Identity in the U.S.
(3 cr.) (S&H, Topics, Freshman Only) (TR, 1:00-2:15 pm, FQ 012B) Jeff Holdeman

GLLC-G220- 25757 Protest, Violence and Revolution in Afghanistan and Central Asia
(3 cr.) (S&H, Culture Studies) (TR, 11:15-12:30 pm, FQ 012A ) Brent Hierman

GLLC-G220 -25758 Global Media, Consumerism and Commercial Nation-Making
(3 cr.) (S&H) (TR, 1:00-2:15 pm, FQ 012A) Yesim Kaptan

GLLC-G320-27450 Espionage in the 21st Century
(3 cr.) (S&H) (TR, 2:30-3:45 pm, FQ 012B) Gene Coyle

GLLC-G300-29012 Persian Theatre Workshop
(3 cr.) (TR, 1: 00-2:15 pm, TBA) Nasrin Farrokh-Hekmat

Course descriptions:

GLLC-S104-14140/Immigration and Ethnic Identity in the U.S. / Jeff Holdeman / 3 cr. /S&H, Topics, Freshman Only / TR, 1:00-2:15 pm / FQ 012B In this course we will explore ways in which one's culture and identity (traditional and contemporary, from one's homeland and in one's new environment) can manifest themselves in art, music, food, clothing, language, social structure, religion, worldview, etc. We will do this through posing a series of questions: What do people arrive with beyond their physical baggage? What do they choose to keep and discard from their native culture? How do they choose to "perform" or display this to each other and to the outside? Students will learn and discuss core concepts from a variety of fields, things such as language maintenance and shift; boundary construction and negotiation; material culture; generation gap; regional variation; endogamy and exogamy; and acculturation, assimilation, and transculturation. At the core will be the concept of identity and the many forms it can take. Students will also learn basic techniques of urban fieldwork in order to carry out interviews and projects later in the semester. All of these will come together in the process of trying to answer what it means to be "ethnic" in America. Note: This course is joint-listed with COLL-S104-26328 (Honors).

GLLC-G220-25757 | Protest, Violence and Revolution in Afghanistan and Central Asia |Brent Hierman | 3 cr. | S&H, Culture Studies | TR, 11:15-12:30 pm | FQ 012A Prior to the US invasion to overthrow the Taliban in 2001, political and social developments of Afghanistan and Central Asia (understood here as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan as well as the Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang) were not widely reported in Western media. However, the rise and fall (and apparent revival) of the Taliban is just one example of the forms of political movements that have appeared in this region's recent history. Since the turn of the 20th Century this region has witnessed: Socialist revolutions; a(n apparent) Democratic revolution; Islamic radicalism; ethnic conflict; a prolonged separatist movement; civil wars; and deadly riots. The aim of this multi-discplinary course is understand how these different forms of contention have shaped the contemporary history of this region as well as to project future prospects for contention in the area. Concepts and readings will be drawn from the disciplines of History, Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology. Students are not expected to have any prior knowledge of the region. The course requires students write two short papers and complete a final take home exam. Note: This course is being joint-listed with POLS-Y200.

GLLC-G220-25758 | Global Media, Consumerism and Commercial Nation-Making | Yesim Kaptan | 3 cr. | S&H | TR, 1:00-2:15 pm |FQ 012A The role of mass media and consumer culture in facilitating nation-building and global culture is particularly significant in order to understand the late twentieth century. In the past two decades, scholars have begun to view inherent tensions between the forces of nationalism and the forces of globalization in the production, reception, and circulation of media in the contemporary world. At the same time though, as well as commercial media, consumption as a social practice have become important in defining and promoting global culture and national identities. The goal of this course is to introduce and discuss the images, signs, symbols, commodities, cultural commercial products, and personal and collective identities that emerge and circulate through mundane engagement with commodities and global media forms. In this course, we will analyze connections and tensions between the forces of nationalism and the forces of globalization and explore some of the scholarly literature about the role of the media and consumer culture in those tensions. We will critically problematize the significant ontological concepts-the local, the translocal, the global, and the national-and their usage in the scholarly literature. We also will discuss the social organization of consumption as a key framework for understanding globalization, consumerism and contemporary nationalisms in modern societies. By the end of the semester you will have tools to analyze the intersection of globalization, nationalism, consumer culture, and the media; and how they intervenes in different cultures. As the primary goal of the course you will become familiar the key concepts of global media and consumer culture. NOTE: This course is being joint-listed with CMCL-C204.

GLLC-G320-27450 / Espionage in the 21st Century /Gene Coyle / 3 cr. / S&H / TR, 2:30-3:45 pm /FQ 012B While some aspects of espionage have not changed in centuries, new technologies have changed the way that governments and corporations go about spying. Airborne imagery has progressed from U-2 spy planes to multi-spectrum-imaging satellites that can take pictures at night, through clouds and even through traditional camouflage materials. International communications that were once carried over HF radios now fly around the world in digital packets. Secrets, once stored in safes, are now stored on computers and servers. The creation of ever smaller microchips and power sources has changed the nature of "bugging" offices and tracking individuals. All of this in addition to the fact that before September 11, 2001 much of intelligence work focused more on rivalries between nation-states, such as the U.S. and the Soviet Union, than today when terrorist groups or individual terrorists are the primary targets. The net result has been changes in the methodologies of espionage. We will explore how all these developments are creating enormous challenges for intelligence agencies in the 21st century.

GLLC-G300-29012 | Persian Theatre Workshop |Nasrin Farrokh-Hekmat | 3 cr. | TR, 1: 00 - 2:15 pm | TBA In this seminar we will explore the fascinating and mysterious folkloric origins, and the dual roots of the art of drama in the ancient Persia (Iran): The Passion Plays 'Ta'azieh', and the secular comedies: 'The Black plays', The 'Over the Pond' comedies, and the puppet shows. Then we will also study the essentials of acting, focusing on the preparation for the performance of a one act Persian play, to be premiered in US or at least in this part of the country for the first time. We will study and research the condition of life and the socio-political influences on the creation of our contemporary play, which would be performed twice for the public as the culmination of our workshop. Note: This course is being joint-listed with NELC-N306.