Global

AFR U185 - Gender in the African Diaspora

Studies variations in gender roles throughout the African Diaspora, from precolonial Africa to the modern United States. Areas of the African Diaspora include Africa, the West Indies, Latin America, Europe, and the Islamic world. Issues include sexuality, labor, reproduction, and social constructions of gender. (4 Credit Hours)

AFR U391 - Modern African Civilization

Explores African history and culture from the early 1500s to the present era. Emphasizes the relationship between Europe and Africa, the circumstances surrounding the imperialist partition of Africa, and the decolonization process. (4 Credit Hours)

AFR U410 - Religion and Spirituality in the African Diaspora

Examines religious thought and rituals and its Diaspora in a comparative context. Topics include traditional religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism in Africa, and the Diaspora. Emphasizes the transformation of religions practiced in Africa when African captives were forced into the three slave trades affecting the continent of Africa: trans-Saharan, Indian Ocean, and transatlantic. (4 Credit Hours)

AFR U441 - Third World Political Relations

Offers a comparative regional analysis of the political systems of Third World nations of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Emphasis is on development strategies; problems of development, including national identity, political socialization and participation, national defense, and urbanization; and the positions of Third World nations in the international community. (4 Credit Hours)

AFR U474 - Black Enterprise and the Corporate World

Studies the history and contemporary status of black entrepreneurship in the United States. Explores the kinds of businesses in which African Americans have succeeded; some of the largest and most profitable black-controlled corporations and businesses; and the status of blacks in banking. Is there a glass ceiling in mainstream corporate America for black Americans? What role does gender play in negotiating the corporate ladder? In addition to conducting their own research, students interact with a series of black businesspeople and corporate executives who share their experiences and insights. (4 Credit Hours)

AFR U639 - Globalism, Racism and Human Rights

Explores the historical stages of globalization as a geopolitical and social phenomenon having significant impact on social change. Focuses on multiple effects of racism and the gradual emergence of human rights as an extension of basic freedoms internationally. Topics and themes include the African and Latino Diaspora, North-South debates, gender, Third World countries, democratization, poverty, health care/pandemic disease, censorship, political repression, new development strategies, and the role of the United Nations and other international organizations in increasingly complex societies. (4 Credit Hours)

ECN U290 - The Global Economy

Covers ideological biases in economics; the extent of global disparities around 1800; evolution of global disparities since 1800; evolution of international integration and international trading and monetary regimes, 1800-2000; theories explaining global disparities: classical, neoclassical, Marxian, neo-Marxian, and structuralist; import-substituting industrialization: Latin America, Asia, and Africa; international debt crises: nineteenth and twentieth centuries; the new global regime: structural adjustment: GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and WTO (World Trade Organization); and socialist interlude: a socialist experience and transition to capitalism. (4 Credit Hours)

ECN U291 - Development Economics

Covers ideological biases in economics; origins of the industrial revolution; the evolution of global disparities, and how markets, imperialism, and racism affected this process; theories of growth: neoclassical, institutional; growth and structural change; growth and demographic change; growth, income distribution, and welfare; development policies: import-substitution vs. outward-orientation; growth based on primary exports; the socialist experience and transition to capitalism. (4 Credit Hours)

ECN U635 - International Economics

Covers Ricardian and neoclassical theories of trade; trade policies; tariffs, quotas, voluntary export restraints, and customs union; global trade regime; GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and WTO (World Trade Organization); balance-of-payments accounts; foreign exchange markets; monetary and portfolio balance approaches to external balance; fixed or flexible exchange rates; and international monetary system. (4 Credit Hours)

HST U110 - Introduction to World History

Emphasizes large-scale patterns, long-term changes, and interconnections of world history. Provides a different way of looking at the past than national histories, one that is appropriate for the increasing globalization and multiculturalism of today's world. The course may begin as early as the first settled towns or written documents, the appearance of the first humanoid species, or even the beginning of the universe. Examines the great continuities and changes that have brought us to where we are today. Links between global processes and individual experiences are explored through primary documents, autobiographies, and stories. (4 Credit Hours)

HST U115 - World History Education

Designed for students in the education program currently enrolled in HST U110. In this one-credit attachment, students are required to keep a journal and to develop curriculum sets for world history secondary education based on materials used in the course. (1 Credit Hour)

HST U202 - Global Inequity

Evaluates different historical, economic, and cultural explanations of global socioeconomic inequality in the modern world. Examines why some parts of the world are much richer than others; why people so often divide the world as "the West and the rest," or the First, Second, and Third Worlds; if these divisions have any reality; and how the social and economic status of individual nations are shaped by patterns and relationships that are global in scale. Also explores the ways in which peoples on different sides of this economic divide understand and depict themselves and one another, through cultural production, political thought, and social movements. (4 Credit Hours)

HST U204 - Third World Women

Explores the complex gender dynamics of women in non-Western societies during the years of Western imperialist domination, nationalist resistance struggles, and postcolonialism. Begins by deconstructing the term "Third World" and seeing how that term can be read against the context of imperialism. Examines gender constructs in the Third World through a variety of written and visual materials including autobiographical accounts, ethnographies, historical fiction, films, and slides. Topics include patterns of gender domination and female resistance; the interplay of race and gender hierarchies under colonial rule; the Western gaze and representations of Third World "primitive" women; and the feminization of labor and the global economy, reproductive strategies, and sex trafficking. (4 Credit Hours)

HST U211 - World History since 1945

Examines the political, economic, social, and cultural relationship between the developed and developing world since the end of World War II. Topics include the Cold War, independence and national movements in developing countries, the globalization of the world economy, scientific and technological innovations, wealth and poverty, the eradication of some diseases and the spread of others, the fall of the Soviet Union, Middle East turmoil, and the enduring conflict between Israel and Palestine. (4 Credit Hours)

HST U214 - War in the Modern World

Provides an analysis of the political and economic revolutions that produced modern industrial warfare, and explores the causes, prosecutions, and effects of the major wars fought since the mid-nineteenth century. Large portions of the course focus on World Wars I and II, but attention is also paid to the smaller wars of this period, to unconventional and nonmilitary forms of warfare, to the international trade in arms and training, and to terrorism, both state-sponsored and transnational. Using films, simulations, and team projects, students explore the diplomatic, political, economic, social, cultural, and psychological impacts of these wars as well as their military and technological aspects. (4 Credit Hours)

HST U315 - Approaches to World History

Focuses on interpreting major patterns and connections in world history through discussion and assignments. (4 Credit Hours)

HST U316 - Teaching World History

Designed for students in the education program currently enrolled in HST U315. This one-credit adjunct is primarily for preservice teachers of history. Students survey the world history of both early and recent times using major textbooks, readers, monographs, and electronic resources for world history. (1 Credit Hour)

HST U452 - Global Chinese Migration

Explores how the Chinese have been moving and creating communities around the world for centuries. What, if anything, makes them "Chinese" despite such a large variety of historical experiences? Attempts to understand this migration both in terms of large-scale trends and the unique experiences of local communities and cultural change. Also examines Chinese business networks, which are sometimes thought to present a powerful challenge to Western forms of capitalism. Is Chinese capitalism different from other capitalist business, and does Chinese culture play a role in shaping it? (4 Credit Hours)

HST U941 - Internship in World History

Offers a formal internship at the World History Resource Center for preservice teachers of history during the fall semester of the fourth year. Students read curriculum units prepared by other teachers and develop at least one substantial, multilesson unit of world history curriculum, under supervision of a history faculty member and in consultation with a practicing teacher. Fulfills experiential education requirement. (4 Credit Hours)

IAFU904 - Special Topics: International Food Economics and Policy
(Spring 2008 only)

This course covers basic concepts in economic and political dimensions of food production, consumption and trade, with particular emphasis on the global food system. Topics will include market and consumption analysis, the agriculture and food industries, types of food policy and other political instruments related to food, and how these affect consumer food choices, environment, diet, nutrition and health. Factors driving the rapid evolution of the way food is produced, processed, distributed and consumed, and its implications will be discussed and analyzed in the context of the global food environment. Review of current empirical evidence on the world food situation and discussion of issues such as hunger, food security, obesity and food safety are also included.

INT U905 - Cultural Studies: An International Discourse

Identifies the dominant and emerging trends and paradigms in the field of cultural studies in the United States and in the international community. Introduces students to the cross-disciplinary concerns and intellectual issues of ethnic studies, labor studies, gender/feminist studies, popular culture, race/racism policies, arts policy research, cultural and literary analysis, media production and consumption, film studies, performance studies, public and private patronage, and new information technologies research. Examines the various theories and methodologies associated with the cultural studies movements and the diverse authors and activists who have played a role in the production of cultural studies as a field of inquiry and practice. A review of classical theorists and major innovators introduces students to the broad influences of culture on individuals, groups, governments, and society. (4 Credit Hours)

INT U906 - Social/Economic Development Lab

Geared toward students who intend to pursue career paths in the international arena in the social sciences, humanities, and business. Introduces students to the major macro-social, geopolitical, and human rights theories and approaches to development as they have emerged in the international community. The new role relating development to culture and the importance of linking economic development with greater individual freedoms are a key aspect of the course, contrasting new and old development models. Popular concepts such as haves/have nots, rich/poor, and women's empowerment are debated as human rights concerns that now dominate international debates. (4 Credit Hours)

IAF U939 - Dialogue of Civilizations: Globalization, Humanities, & Cultural Studies

In the DOC course, students "engage" with the culture, civilization, and people of the countries studied and visited. The course provides students with an in-depth and on-site experience, learning the history, anthropology, philosophy, culture, music, arts, literature, theater, and/or cinema in the country of study. Students connect with their peers in each country/society. Students gain a "global experience" that enhances their academic studies on campus in Boston. The experience culminates in an independent research project conducted by the students before, during, and after their time in-country.(4 Credit Hours)

PHL U130 - Ethics: East and West

Explores claims in both Eastern and Western philosophy that a way of life exists that leads to happiness, power, and wisdom. Focuses on such questions as: Is there a best way to live? Is there a way a human being should live? Studies the thought of such philosophers as Socrates, Buddha, Plato, Aristotle, Lao Tzu, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Aquinas, and Spinoza, as well as studies some of the classical Hindu and Buddhist texts. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U155 - Comparative Politics

Presents a comparative study of political organization and behavior in a range of countries beyond the United States. Topics includes political culture, political economy, governing institutions, leadership, and political participation. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U160 - International Relations

Examines major issues in the international system. Covers topics of international trade and monetary affairs; war, weapons of mass destruction, and disarmament; and international law and organizations, human rights, international and regional integration, and the impact of technology on the functioning of the international system. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U405 - International Political Economy

Focuses on international political and economic relations. Examines how nations interact in such areas as trade, finance, and labor relations. Includes such topics as the International Monetary Fund, multinational corporations, economic sanctions, military interventions, technology transfer, and foreign aid. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U407 - International Organizations

Explores the powers, functions, and effectiveness of international institutions in the context of the growing interdependence of states. Examines international organizations such as the United Nations and European Union in their roles as part of international regimes that address issues such as international security, the international political economy, and human rights.

POL U408 - International Security

Examines pressing problems in international security that are on the agenda of nation-states and international and nongovernmental organizations. Examples include armed violence, terrorism, organized crime, nuclear proliferation, poverty, infectious diseases, energy security, and environmental degradation. Responses are typically sought through international cooperation and the establishment of international norms that apply to complex problems reaching beyond the borders of any one state.

POL U415 - Ethnic Conflict in Comparative Politics

Analyzes the causes and consequences of contemporary ethnic political violence. Examines selected cases on their importance and their usefulness for understanding ethnic conflict (such as Bosnia, Canada, Northern Ireland, and states of the former Soviet Union). Considers various policies for preventing and resolving ethnic political violence. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U420 - War and Political Violence

Analyzes the causes and consequences of war and considers ways to prevent it. Also examines the use of terrorism by groups as well as governments, and explores counterterrorism and conflict resolution techniques. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U441 - Third World Political Relations

Offers a comparative regional analysis of the political systems of Third World nations of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Emphasis is on development strategies; problems of development including national identity, political socialization and participation, national defense, and urbanization; and the positions of Third World nations in the international community. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U487 - Politics of Developing Nations

Examines the political, governmental, social, economic, cultural, environmental, and geopolitical dimensions of change in nations regarded as "developing" by international standards. Covers a broad spectrum of types of nations including those in Eastern and Central Europe but pays particular attention to those in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U510 - International Law

Course Description: Focuses on public international law and its key policymaking institutions including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice. Also explores the influence of key regional organizations such as the European Union, Arab League, NATO, and the Organization of American States. Topics include state sovereignty, human rights, diplomatic relations, and treaties. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U530 - Revolution and International Conflict

Examines the causes and consequences of revolution, with cases including Russia, China, and Cuba. Also considers internal conflicts, such as civil wars and military overthrows, and analyzes the policy implications for the United States and the international system. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U580 - Special Topics: Comparative Politics and International Relations

Analyzes the constitutional, political, economic, and societal dimensions of selected contemporary public issues in comparative politics and international relations. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U610 - Seminar in International Relations

Offers an in-depth study of selected topics in international relations. (4 Credit Hours)

POL U910 - Model United Nations

Offers students the opportunity to participate in teams that research assigned nations and represent those nations in a model United Nations role-playing exercise. (4 Credit Hours)

SOA U305 - Global Markets and Local Culture

Discusses selected topics in the socioeconomic transformation of other cultures including urbanization, industrialization, commodity production, and international labor migration. Focuses on the impact of capitalist development on contemporary Third World and postcolonial societies; examines local responses to those changes. (4 Credit Hours)

SOA U307 - Social Movements in the Third World

This course introduces students to various social movements in countries lacking economic and political autonomy. It begins by examining early modern European history to establish templates for studying similar campaigns in the developing world. The class then examines different theories used to explain social movements. Finally, the class concludes with two case studies of religious movements - Liberation Theology in Latin America and Islamism in the Middle East. (4 Credit Hours)

SOA U315 - Religion and Modernity

Religion and Modernity. This is the first of two courses that examine how religion engages with modernity. U315 explores how religion reinforces modernity. It studies the Reformation that itself constitutes the essence of modernization. It then examines Chinese Confucianism to see if religion, like in Europe, is the engine of dynamic economic growth. The course ends by investigating whether Islam can play or has played a similar role in the development of the Middle East. (4 Credit Hours)