Past Seminars

Educated Guesses: a Global Survey of the Ways We Teach and Learn

Instructors:
Professor Richard Erable
Professor Kristin Flora

Course Description: This course will examine the educational systems of several countries within three broad geographical areas: North America (Canada and the U.S.), Europe (the Scandinavian countries and the UK), and Asia (Japan and China).

Marriage and Family: A Global, Cultural and Historical Perspective

Instructors:
Professor Susan Crisafulli
Professor Robin Roberts

Course Description:This course will explore the history of marriage, its origins, and how it has evolved.  Included in this exploration will be an examination of the ways in which different cultures view the concept of marriage and family.

Latin American Leaders

Instructors:
Professor Sara Colburn-Alsop
Professor Bonnie Pribush

Course Description:  In this course, students will explore the following four different Latin American leaders, Eva Peron, Fidel Castro, Rigoberta Menchu, and Hugo Chavez, within their historical and cultural context in their respective countries, Argentina, Cuba, Guatemala, and Venezuela.

Exploring the Developing World: The Caribbean

Course Description:Students in this course studied the history and current conditions in the Caribbean in order to gain a better understanding of the consequences of colonialism and imperialism. Topics covered included: European colonialism, the slave trade, and U.S. involvement in the region, specifically Jamaica, Antigua, Haiti, Martinique and Cuba. Students were asked to draw conclusions from the Caribbean experience that could be applied to other parts of the world.

This seminar was led by Professor Simone Pilon and Professor Lindsey Swindall during the 2008-2009 academic year.

How the World Sees America

Course Description:What are the perceptions of the United States in other parts of the world? On what are they based? How have these perceptions evolved over time? Why are they different in different parts of the world? Why are these perceptions important? Those are the types of questions that were addressed in this course.

This seminar was led by Professor Richard Erable and Professor John N. Stevens during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Investigating the Causes & Effects of Poverty in the U.S. & the World

Course Description:We explored poverty in various realms of society and examine the ways in which people are disenfranchised on multiple levels such as the workplace, schools, living environments, healthcare, etc. We began with investigating poverty on a local level and the ways in which it affects our community statewide and nationwide, then moved to an investigation of poverty on a global scale and contemporary efforts to alleviate its impact.

This seminar was led by Professor Bonnie Pribush and Professor Wendy Walter-Bailey during the 2006-2007 academic year.

Encounter, Conflict & Cultural Survival: The Indigenous Peoples of Latin America

Course Description:We explored the economic, social, political, environmental and religious aspects of the encounter between Europeans and pre-Columbian peoples, as well as the subsequent conflicts and crises that have arisen from this encounter, through an examination of Indigenous groups in Latin America in a historical and cultural context.

This seminar was led by Professor Sara Colburn-Alsop and Professor William Holliday during the 2005-2006 academic year.