Fall 2018 GLOA 400 Capstone Sections
GLOA 400-002: GLOBAL CRISES
Kathalene Razzano
This course takes on the challenge of exploring the multiple facets of global crises and the solutions taken to address them. We will explore 4 topic areas in 3 week blocks. Topics might include water scarcity/clean water, fast fashion, Syrian refugees and e-waste. We will explore the political-economic and legal frameworks which define these topics by asking a series of questions.
What are the key issues/problems?
Who are the key players?
What are the proposed solutions?
Who benefits from these solutions?
Who doesn't benefit?
What could be done otherwise? Do we see any spaces for intervention?
Each key topic area will have direct contact with one outside player. This may mean a visit to meet with congressional staff to talk about issues. Or might include a Skype session with Refugee Radio staff. The final projects will be podcasts that answer the above questions.
GLOA 400-003: GLOBAL CRISES: CONTEMPORARY VIOLENT CONFLICTS
Dr. Derek Sweetman
This course will examine topics related to contemporary violent conflicts, with a special emphasis on the lives of those effected by conflict and the ways our cultures of militarism, media, and colonialism have shaped these conflicts. Students will do significant personal reflective work to understand their relationship to these conflicts, what they think about this, and what elements of their Global Affairs education can help them contribute to a less violent world.
GLOA 400-004: GLOBAL CRISES: HUMAN RIGHTS
Dr. Niklas Hultin
The story of human rights is often told as one of steady progress, with increased
democratization, growing rights awareness, and the establishment of new
organizations dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights. Yet,
especially in the last few years, it might seem that human rights are on the
decline, with increasing authoritarianism in many countries, the persistence of
conflicts, and alarming reports of widening inequality.
This course examines this alleged crisis of human rights from a variety of
perspectives—the political, legal, social, cultural, and so on—using a range of
case studies on specific human rights issues. Among the topics we will address
are minority and indigenous peoples’ rights, rights based on gender and sexual
identity, states of emergency and rights in conflict (including the Geneva
Conventions), the right to development and a clean environment, and
surveillance and information rights. We will examine both how struggles over
these and other rights play out in specific contexts and also what steps
international organizations and courts are taking to address rights concerns.
March 29, 2018