2009 Fall ICS 125-01
Bulletin Course Description Comparative and connective research and analysis in the social sciences and the humanities: strengths and weaknesses of cross-cultural comparison as developed by sociologists, historians, political scientists, anthropologists, and specialists in comparative literature and religion. Not open to students who have taken Religion 121. Instructor: Litle
(Instructor named in bulletin description above may not be current. For current instructor, see listing below.)
Title COMP APPR GLOBAL ISSUES Department ICS Course Number 2009 Fall 125 Section Number 01 Primary Instructor Need,David N Prerequisites
Synopsis of course content
Is globalization undermining the nation-state? Does globalization mean that different parts of the world are becoming more alike? What is globalization, anyway, and when did it start? What is the relationship between national, religious, and ethnic identity? how are they constructed? What assumptions do we bring to our nderstanding of tradition and modernity? How do the different ways in which we understand progress (economic, technological, human rights) affect our understanding
of global issues? These are the kinds of questions that we will be exploring in CompArea 125. This course is designed to foster critical thinking about global issues, using both comparative and connective approaches, with the goal of providing students with an introduction to the issues and concepts explored in the International Comparative Studies major.
The course is comparative in at least two senses: we will think comparatively about the experiences of people in different parts of the world; and, we will examine selected global issues from the perspective of several academic disciplines. Different disciplines will be represented in the course readings and five guest instructors - from Cultural Anthropology, Ethnomusicology, Political Science, and Sociology - will each spend one week with the class.
One key characteristic of the International Comparative Studies major is that each student explicitly thinks about the interplay between the global and the local; this is accomplished through the student's selection of courses
focusing on a primary geographic area on one hand and courses the explore a variety of global issues on the other. Students in CompArea 125 will get a taste of this process by investigating the experiences of one nation or
ethnic group in the context of the global issues that we consider in common.
Textbooks
Readings may includeselections from: Amy Chua, World on Fire, Eduardo Galeano, Upside Down, A Primer for the Looking-Glass World, Anthony Giddens, Runaway World, How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives, Amin Maalouf, In the Name of Identity, Violence and the Need to Belong, John Rennie Short, Global Dimensions, Space, Place and the Contemporary World. There will also be a number of shorter readings.
Assignments
Assignments will include participation in Blackboard discussions, a variety of exercises, an individual project, and 1 essay-based take-home exam.
Grade to be based on
Assignments, project, exams, and participation. Even though this is a large class it will regularly involve active participation and discussion of readings.
Additional Information
Note: This course is required for International Comparative Studies majors and minors. If you are an ICS Major or Minor and need a permission number, please send an email to ICS Staff Assistant, Charity Greene charity.greene@duke.edu.
If you are not an established ICS major or minor, please send an email to the course instructor, David Need at dneed@duke.edu, with the following information: 1) year and major; 2) reason for wanting to take ICS 125
if not an ICS major.
