Monday, December 9, 2013

GLLC Open Courses for Spring 2014


COURSES OFFERED through the Global Village Living Learning Center, Spring 2014

GLLC-G210 (29651)  Amazon Rhetoric: Global Perspectives on Women and Power (3 cr.) GenEd A&H; CASE A&H, CASE GCC) (TR, 4:00–5:15 pm, FQ 012A)

Valerie Wieskamp

Since ancient times, legends of “Amazons,” or warrior women, have captivated cultures around the world, indicating a global fascination with women in positions of power. In this class, we study rhetorical constructions of gender by examining representations of women warriors and powerful women. Drawing from a multidisciplinary body of literature, we compare representations of powerful women across cultures to determine if they challenge or reaffirm gender roles, and if they glorify or subvert war culture and violence. Students apply what they have learned for use in a comparative textual analysis. This final project is designed to encourage students to develop writing and argumentation skills, to conduct cross-cultural analysis, and to understand how to ethically represent other cultures. This course expands a popular summer course I taught exploring women warriors in U.S. popular culture, modifying it significantly to address issues of cross-cultural representation and to explore international examples.

 

GLLC-G220 (30870)  Decline of the West (3 cr.) (GenEd S&H; CASE S&H, CASE GCC) (MW, 4:00–5:15 pm, FQ 012A)

Matthew Slaboch

In his 2012 State of the Union address, Barack Obama proclaimed that “anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned doesn’t know what they’re talking about.” In spite of the president’s proclamations that their country remains as vibrant as ever, Americans are skeptical: Gallup’s “right track, wrong track” question revealed that only 18% of the public were satisfied with the state of their union at the time of the president’s address. Halfway across the globe, Europeans express dissatisfaction with the state of their own union by protesting high unemployment and economic uncertainty. Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, has staggering levels of debt with which it cannot cope. Meanwhile, there’s talk about the “rise of China.” Given what’s going on worldwide, we might ask “Is the West in Decline?” This course investigates, looking at economic, military, moral, artistic, and other types of decline.

 

GLLC-G320 (22538)  Espionage in the 21st Century (3 cr.) (CASE S&H) (TR, 2:30–3:45 pm, FQ 012B)

Gene Coyle

While some aspects of espionage have not changed in centuries, new technologies have changed the way that governments and corporations go about spying. We will explore how all these developments are creating enormous challenges for intelligence agencies in the 21st century. The course is taught by a 30-year veteran of the CIA.

NOTE: This section is open to sophomores and above; freshman who seek admission need to contact gacoyle@indiana.edu.  Additional seats are reserved for GV residents and alumni. Please contact the Global Village at village@indiana.edu if class is closed.