Cross Cultural Studies

The headlines change, but the religious issues persist. This dynamic course connects the academic study of religion to the most pressing events of the moment. The course content is 100% determined by the major news stories involving religion from the previous seven days-from global conflicts and political debates to cultural controversies, legal battles, and emerging social movements. Each week, students will move beyond the headlines to critically analyze the religious contexts, histories, and power dynamics embedded in current events.

An examination of the political, social, envionmental policy, and economic problems of "third world" development with Latin America as the regional area of focus. The models of corporatism, bureaucratic-authoritarianism, civil-military relations, and dependency theory are applied to case studies in Argentina,Brazil, Cuba, and Peru. An examination of the role of women in development as well as the impact of development on the environment is also included. Sustainable development models are offered as an alternative to the failed attempts at development.

Examination of the changing constructions of gender and the shifting configurations of the family, from imperial times to the present. Primary sources (in translation) and secondary literature together convey how changing notions of kinship, property, ritual, space, and the body have informed notions of gender in China, from the traditional courtyard house to the modern high-rise apartment.

Learn about the multifaceted nature of conflict on the inter and intra state levels, historically, and in the current post-Cold War period. Explore the sources, causes, environmental impact, and determinants of conflict, presenting the various perspectives on the genesis and the amelioration of conflict.