AFRICA: A CHANGING CONTINENT.
This course deals with Africa’s transition through the process of transformation, concentrating on the dynamics of democratization of political systems, restructuring policies, economic reconstruction, repatriation and rehabilitation of refugees, and demobilization of armed forces. Discussions will also include the role of international institutions in Africa’s economic recovery. Students participate in group projects around current socio economic problems and political issues in sub-Saharan Africa while also individually engaged in research and a country survey. African guest speakers and interviews, documentary films and selected readings will be provided.
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CHANGING RELATIONS IN U.S. COMMUNITIES: NEW IMMIGRANTS AND ESTABLISHED RESIDENTS.
During the past decade, the U.S. has experienced a large influx of a variety of immigrant groups. This course examines the relations of established residents and new immigrants, looking at how new immigrants are incorporated into political, economic and educational institutions, as well as their impact and interaction with established communities. This course draws heavily on students’ observations and on the scholarly literature, along with videos, short stories, and field trips as sources for understanding the experiences of various immigrant groups and their relations with other ethnic groups.
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CHICAGO: THE EMERGENCE OF A METROPOLIS.
Chicago has grown from a small settlement at the junction of the north and south branches of the Chicago River to a thriving metropolis whose geography, diverse population, politics, financial and cultural evolution have all contributed to her status as a world-class city. This course will look at the emergence of the city and provide an overview of the human and physical resources that contributed to the rapid growth of the jewel on Lake Michigan. Students will have opportunity to not only review the past, but explore the city’s future by investigating proposed new projects and contemporary issues affecting the city including riverboat gambling, the circulator system, the redesign of State Street and a proposed building taller than the Sears Tower.
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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.
In this course, student will examine how the cultural attributes shared by society’s members affect international affairs. Those attributes include ways of thinking and reasoning, styles of behavior and communication, and fundamental assumptions and values. The course examines American cultural patterns, cultural influences on human thought processes, and the cultural dimension of international negotiation through comparison of Asian, European, Central American, and U.S. methods of reaching agreements.
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INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY IN GROUPS: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF WORK AND FAMILY.
Our identity and behavior are formed and honed in social groups. This course will draw on literature, film and theories of social psychology to study influence and communication patterns in work and family. The role we are given and assume shape our identity and development. Students will read literature, view film, and reflect on their experience using the perspective and heuristic tools provided by social psychology. We will examine how social characteristics and communication pattern shape us. Literature and artistic works will be sources for illuminating the human condition. Changes in attitudes, values, and goals that occur as we develop as adults, will be viewed through the lens of our membership and interaction with groups.
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Liberal Learning Area, Human Community Category
