2014 year of the horse comes galloping in with four courses to teach this spring semester. Thankfully two of the courses will be overlapping thematically with a focus on globalization and cosmopolitanism, one of which is a freshman composition course. And just to ensure that all the muscles get stretched, yours truly is also leading two senior capstone courses for graduating students to prepare for their exit interviews and compile their e-portfolios. For a peek at what yours truly will be doing in the classroom, have a go at the course titles and descriptions below with the required course texts pictured above.
Looks to be another busy semester at full speed ahead!
LIBERAL & CIVIC STUDIES 123: MODERN GLOBAL ISSUES
Required readings
- F. Lechner, Globalization: The Making of World Society, Wiley & Blackwell, 2009.
- Fareed Zakaria, The Post-American World: Release 2.0, Norton, 2012.
- Robyn Magalit Rodriguez, Migrants for Export, University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
*In regards to electronic versions of texts and tablet devices, students are expected to reference the same pages from the editions listed above. If a student is unable to match page references to the class text, his/her participation grade will be greatly affected.
Supplemental Materials
- The Learning (documentary film), PBS, 2011.
- Additional articles, clips and videos posted on Moodle.
- Three-ring binder for free-writes composed both in and outside of class.
Course Description
A course on globalization would be incomplete without critical engagement with the world’s poor. This course introduces students to the concept of the Third World. We examine its historical evolution from Cold War ideology to current neo-liberalism. We go on to investigate the concept of “internal Third Worlds” as a way to move beyond the binary of First/Third worlds—rich/poor, haves/have-nots. The aim of this course is to explore whether or not First and Third Worlds are really two separate entities existing on two different planes. In other words, are the power centers of the rich world and the underdevelopment of the poor separate from each other or are they two sides of the same coin? Do third world conditions exist in the United States and vice-versa? We examine how the “jigsaw puzzle” of the world economic system is very much interrelated, interconnected and codependent. Globalization has sped up the integration of the two worlds at such a rapid rate that it is now commonplace to find oneself simultaneously in the First and Third World in virtually any location around the globe. Some of the questions explored throughout the semester are:
- What are the consequences of radically different worlds coexisting in the same space and time?
- What does the degree of separation between the rich and poor mean for a just and stable society?
- How do the poor respond to their economic and political marginalization?
- What is the role of nationalism in an increasingly globalized world?
- What are the specific costs of global inequality and how do we assess these costs?
- What is the role of free markets in solving numerous problems associated with globalization, i.e. global warming?
- What are the possibilities of a global democracy? Is it something we should strive for?
- How do individual countries and the collective global community respond to social injustice?
- What role does social, economic, political and environmental injustice play in international diplomacy?
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ENGLISH 5: Argument & Research
“Citizens of the World”
What is this thing called “Culture”? From iPhones to Islam, we’re inundated with icons and ideals. How do we distinguish between a Warhol and Warhol’s fifteen minutes? How do we partake in OXFAM and of apple pie? We’ll discuss the manifestations of “Culture” both on the home front and in the world at large, and see if we can spot ourselves among the crowd.
Required Texts:
- The Little Brown Handbook
- Hubbach, S. Writing Research Papers Across the Curriculum. 5th Ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2005.
- Appiah, Kwame Anthony. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. NY: NY: WW. Norton & Company, 2006.
- Jen, Gish. Tiger Writing: Art, Culture, and the Interdependent Self.
- Minha, Trinh T. Elsewhere Within Here. Routledge,
- Supplemental handouts will be posted on Moodle
Recommended Texts:
- The American Heritage Dictionary
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Liberal & Civic Studies 130:
“SENIOR CAPSTONE II- ASSESSMENT AND PORTFOLIO”
Required Course Materials: 1 Spiral Notebook for in-class work, free-writes, and journal
Course Description
Welcome to L&CS 124, and congratulations on entering your senior year! This course is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what you have learned & experienced, and how you have grown over the course of your L&CS and Saint Mary’s College education. As an interdisciplinary program that seeks to educate the whole person, and strives to develop self-awareness, ethical values, and habits of social responsibility, it is important for our students that they take the time to authentically reflect and assess their development.
Learning Objectives:
- Students will engage in a critical evaluation of their overall academic performance.
- Students will demonstrate self-awareness and be able to discuss their ethical value system and habits of social responsibility.
- Students will be able to articulate their thoughtful beliefs and attitudes about ethnic, racial, social-class, and gender inequalities manifested in our society.
- Students will write a comprehensive self-assessment that addresses academic, service-learning, personal growth and future personal/professional goals.
Rashaan Alexis Meneses 