International Studies

ANTH 053. Cultural Anthropology. 3 Units.

This introductory course covers the anthropological view of humanity, the character and nature of culture, and the diversity of the human species. The major concepts, methods, and theoretical assumptions of the discipline are illustrated by applying anthropological perspectives to peoples from around the world. Topics include culture, ethnicity, and language; kinship, marriage, and social organization; time and space; religion, magic and rituals; gender and sexuality; power, inequality, and political relations; economic production, circulation, and consumption; social control; and the various forces and forms of change. (DVSY, ETHC, GE1C, GEDI, GEWE)

ANTH 093. Special Topics. 1-4 Units.

Occasional offerings on topics in anthropology of current interest to faculty and students. Normally will have no prerequisite.

ANTH 132. Modern Middle East. 4 Units.

How do Palestinians and Israelis conceptualize the ideal polity? How do Muslims understand the roles of women and men? How are historical experiences related to the collective memory of a community, and how does memory shape contemporary social life in the Middle East? How are local histories, societies, and cultures related to global processes of politics, economics, and culture? How do modern Middle Eastern peoples see their own identities and how and why do these conceptions differ from Western discourses about the region? This course is an introduction to thinking critically about these and related questions. Readings are drawn from various areas, that include history, anthropology, and literature. Middle Eastern experiences are also surveyed through other media, such as film. Students are encouraged to think critically about and beyond both popular Western images of the Middle East and supposed boundaries between nations and civilizations. Particular emphasis is given to the interconnections – political, cultural, etc. – between East and West, South and North. Sophomore standing.

ANTH 134. Anthropology of Africa. 4 Units.

Africa is a large and diverse continent that is characterized by a multiplicity of cultures, histories, identities and experiences. This course is designed to encourage an appreciation of the complexity of contemporary Africa and to consider how African realities may differ from common stereotypes of the continent. This is primarily a course on contemporary Africa but it also includes a historical overview of key events that continue to shape current realities such as trade and migration, colonialism, and nationalist struggles for independence. While contemporary issues such as poverty and political violence are addressed, the focus is on the richness and diversity of African lives and experiences from rural to urban settings across the continent. Course material addresses the interconnections between politics, kinship, gender, ethnicity, economics and history. Sophomore standing is required.

ANTH 153. Language and Culture. 4 Units.

In this seminar, the interconnections between language and culture are explored from an anthropological perspective that include approaches to the study of language within anthropology, methods of linguistic anthropological research, linguistic relativity, conversational styles, and links between language and power. (DVSY)

ANTH 161. Urban Society. 4 Units.

In this course we look at urban life from various perspectives: ethnographic, historical, geographic, and critical-theoretical. The course surveys cases from across the globe, focusing on South and East Asia; North, South and Central America; Africa; and the Middle East. We aim to see the city in a global and cross-cultural perspective and to question and contextualize the supposedly universal models of urbanism based on the Western experiences. (ETHC)

ANTH 170. Culture and Economy. 4 Units.

This course provides an anthropological approach to the study of economic behavior in a cross-cultural context. Are there places in the world where people don’t care about the latest cell phones or clothing fashions? Do people always seek to buy the most goods that they can with their money? Do different cultures define rational, maximizing behavior differently? In this class students explore the variety of different ways in which people produce, exchange and consume goods and how these processes are embedded in social and cultural institutions. Throughout the semester, students read ethnographic articles and case studies that discuss other peoples’ economic lives and touch on important issues of global poverty and development. Topics include markets, gifts, commodities, property rights, systems of production and exchange, and change within local and global economies. Prerequisite: ANTH 053 or ANTH 054.

ANTH 172. Culture and Power. 4 Units.

What is power? How are power relations configured differently across cultures? How is power institutionalized and contested in an increasingly interconnected world? The theme that unites all these concerns is the politics of everyday life: how power works in and through culture to shape the lives of individuals and societies. Topics of discussion include: conflict and conflict resolution,; law and custom, leadership and authority, social and cultural control, ritual and symbolism, gender, ethnicity, and identity politics, nationalism and colonialism, representation, agency and political subjectivity, civil society organizations and social movements, borders, boundaries and citizenship. (DVSY, GEDI)

ANTH 187. Internship. 1-4 Units.

An internship, approved and supervised by a faculty adviser, is an opportunity for a student to intellectually reflect on a supervised work experience in a setting appropriate for the student's career and life goals. Prerequisites: two advanced anthropology courses with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

ANTH 188. Anthropology Theory. 4 Units.

This course provides a critical review of the history of anthropological theory, that include its epistemology, paradigms, major concepts, central questions, and methodologies, as well as the relationships of these to each other and to their historical context. In tracing the discipline’s history from its precursors to its establishment as an academic discipline and then through the last century to the present, the course introduces students to major theoretical approaches in anthropology and interrogates the interconnections between anthropological theory, knowledge, ethics, and practice. Prerequisites: ANTH 053 or ANTH 054. Junior standing.

ANTH 191. Independent Study. 1-4 Units.

Permission of instructor. Junior standing.

ANTH 193. Special Topics, Upper Division. 1-4 Units.

Occasional offerings on topics in anthropology of current interest to faculty and students. Prerequisite: ANTH 053.

ANTH 197. Independent Research. 1-4 Units.

Advanced students are offered the opportunity to design and complete an independent research project under the direction of a faculty member beyond the requirements of other course work. Prerequisites: two advanced anthropology courses with a 3.0 Pacific GPA. Permission of Instructor.

INTL 010. Chair's Seminar. 1 Unit.

A general introduction to making a successful transition to college. Emphasis is placed on developing research and presentation skills, collaborative learning, critical thinking, and self-assessment. Students also develop a 4-year academic plan while learning about University resources and opportunities that complement and supplement their academic work. Required for all SIS first year students.

INTL 067. Introduction to Model United Nations (MUN I). 1-2 Units.

This course is an overview of the workings of the United Nations with particular attention paid to current world issues before that body. Emphasis is placed on developing critical thinking and oral advocacy skills in preparation for attending a competitive Model United Nations conference. Course may be taken for up to 2 units.

INTL 077. Contemporary World Issues. 3 Units.

Students will be introduced to the historical context of the most important current global issues, including imperialism, nationalism, political violence, poverty, economic development, and financial crises through a focus on either the issue or specific case studies. Students will also examine our obligation to act within the global community. (GE1C, GEGR)

INTL 077L. Twentieth Century Through Documentaries. 1 Unit.

Complementing INTL 077 (Contemporary World Issues), this video course offers historical footage of significant persons, events, and movements around the world throughout the 20th century. The discussion of the videos seeks to deepen understanding of the atmosphere and attitudes surrounding significant events of the 20th century. Prerequisite, may be taken concurrently: INTL 077 or permission of instructor.

INTL 081. Perspectives on World History. 3 Units.

Students study the shape of human history from its beginnings to the present day. The course is built around the work of historians, with the addition of anthropologists and political scientists, whose interpretations/perspectives differ, but whose insights help us to understand humanity’s life on Earth. (GE2B, GEWE)

INTL 093. Special Topics. 1-4 Units.

INTL 101. Social Science Research Methods. 4 Units.

Students are introduced to how research is conducted in the social sciences. The course shows how qualitative and quantitative research complements each other and it compares research methodologies in the different social science disciplines. The course also introduces basic statistical methods for analyzing social scientific data, and introduces the use of computers for quantitative analysis. Prerequisite: fundamental quantitative skills. (GE3B, GEQR, PLAW)

INTL 107. Global Economic Issues. 4 Units.

This course is an introduction to international trade, international finance and economic development. Economic principles and tools are used to understand the interconnected global economy. Topics include trade theory and policy; regional and multilateral trading system; trade and climate change; balance of payments; foreign exchange markets and exchange rate determination; and the role of foreign aid private capital flows and trade policy in economic development. This course is cross-listed as ECON 071. Prerequisites: ECON 053; ECON 051 or ECON 055. INTL 107 cannot be taken for credit if the student has taken or is concurrently enrolled in ECON 121 or ECON 123.

INTL 113. World Geography for the Social Sciences. 4 Units.

This interdisciplinary course is an overview of the study of human geography and is designed to promote both geographic literacy and critical geographical thinking. Issues and themes covered include cultural geography; political geography; space- and place-making; landscape, ecology, and resource consumption; cartography and its critics; and national, imperial, and gendered geographies and their critics. Case studies draw from many world regions and cultures. Sophomore standing.

INTL 123. Literature Across Cultures. 4 Units.

On the basis of selected works taken from the vast body of contemporary world literature, the course surveys the variety of literary expression from cultures around the globe. Although often separated physically by continents, creative writers respond to fundamental human dilemmas in ways characteristic of their craft as well as individuals and members of a culture. Students read, compare, and discuss these responses as they have been formed in Lagos, Berlin or Sao Paulo, Tokyo, Paris or Mobile. Emphasis is on conflicts that arise from post colonialism. General Education IC.

INTL 151. Cross-Cultural Training I. 1 Unit.

This course prepares students for interacting in cultures other than their own. It is designed to assist students in developing learning and coping strategies when outside their native cultural environment, such as while studying abroad, as well as the communication and intercultural skills needed for interacting successfully in new cultural environments. Topics include cultural values and assumptions, intercultural communication, and cross cultural problems and adjustment. (DVSY)

INTL 167. Advanced Model United Nations (MUN II). 1-2 Units.

This course offers advanced instruction on the workings of the specialized agencies of the United Nations and other international organizations with particular attention paid to current world issues before those bodies. Emphasis is placed on independent research and writing, as well as leadership skills, in preparation for attending a competitive Model United Nations conference. Prerequisite: POLS 051. May be taken for up to 2 units. (PLAW)

INTL 185. SIS Capstone. 3 Units.

This capstone course integrates the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary SIS core curriculum with the experiential learning of study abroad. This is accomplished through analysis of the role of the individual in a variety of cultural and historical contexts that pay particular attention to questions of identity and ethics in a complex global environment. Prerequisites: senior standing.

INTL 187. Internship. 1-4 Units.

An internship, approved and supervised by a faculty adviser, is an opportunity for a student to intellectually reflect on a supervised work experience in a setting appropriate for the student's career and life goals. Prerequisites: two SIS core courses and a minimum 2.5 GPA.

INTL 191. Independent Study. 1-4 Units.

Ordinarily limited to SIS juniors and seniors. Student must be in good academic standing. Permission of instructor.

INTL 193. Special Topics. 1-4 Units.

INTL 197. Independent Research. 1-4 Units.

Advanced students are offered the opportunity to design and complete an independent research project under the direction of a faculty member beyond the requirements of other course work. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required. Permission of instructor.