The Adversary Game: Conflict as Culture - LIT110L

David Moore, English
Through writing about literature, the course explores modes of thinking that underlie assumed boundaries between cultures, “races,” religions, genders, generations, ethnicities, nations, and economic classes.  Adversarial modes tend to be the default in sports, film, news, education, business, law, and, of course, war.  Why?  Are competition and domination the defining traits of “human nature,” or are they nurtured by culture?  Are there non-adversarial alternatives?  Where there is real difference, does it need to be a basis for conflict?  The central challenge of the course is to rethink social issues on paper, and to explore how original writing involves original thinking.  The readings explore approaches to differences and whether dualistic terms adequately describe their real dynamics. 

Can Giving Change the World? Engaging Social Responsibility through Philanthropy - COMX 191S

Greg Larson, Communication Studies

Andrea Vernon, Office for Civic Engagement

This course examines the relationship between the individual and society by addressing the question: How do individuals and organizations address pressing and enduring social problems to create meaningful change? Through the lens of philanthropy, this course introduces students to social responsibility and some of the big problems facing society. We will learn about how donating money to charitable causes is building the philanthropic movement at local, national and global levels to combat the most pressing contemporary challenges facing society such as poverty, environmental degradation, and disease. This is an experiential learning opportunity for you to study and experience philanthropy as a tool for social change and community engagement at local and global levels. Students will engage as community grant-makers allocating $10,000 of funding to local nonprofit organizations.

Diversity in Communication - CSD 191S

Ginger Collins, Communicative Sciences and Disorders
The purpose of this three-credit course is to provide students with an overview of language within the context of the global society.  Students will gain exposure to the various aspects of language and to strategies for promoting communication skills in the face of linguistic diversity.

This course will provide some answers to basic questions about the nature of human language, and special topics, such as The Role of Language in Racism in America & Abroad and The Impact of Disability on Communication/Integration into the Mainstream in the new Global Community will be discussed. Because CSD 191/SL is a service learning course, students will donate 15 hours of volunteer time to a community project that will enhance their understanding of the course content.

Green Cities for the 21^st Century - GPHY 191X

Ulrich Kamp, Geography
The course is a discussion of “green” and “sustainability” initiative efforts in cities around the world and follows a multi-disciplinary approach by integrating urban-focused concepts from history, sociology, ecology, geography, and architecture and planning. How “green” are the cities of today, and how serious do they take the concept of urban sustainability? How successful were and will be experiments of sustainable urban design such as Arcosanti, New Urbanism, and Masdar? Many of the success stories of “greening” the city were actually initiated by grassroots, non-profit, and non-governmental organizations, and by individuals who took the function of responsible citizenship seriously. However, beyond this, the “greening a city” undertaking must root in workable relationships and interactions between the three fundamental sustainability pillars: social, environmental, and economic.

Global Challenges in the 21st Century - MANS195X

Terry Weidner, Political Science
Otto Koester, Mike and Maureen Mansfield Center
This course provides an introductory understanding of, and diverse perspectives on, major crises and challenges facing the world today, ranging from concerns about rapid population growth and demographic changes to global food supplies, pandemics and health problems, water and natural resource shortages, climate change, and the latest economic and financial crises as well as unequal distribution of wealth. It will also explore current and impending problems of war, peace and security, nuclear proliferation and arms control, government responses to minorities and ethnic groups, legal frameworks and capacities of international and regional institutions, demands for human rights, and new models of leadership. Readings will consist of selected book chapters, government/NGO reports, “think tank” position papers, video streams, blogs, and thoughtful media treatments from around the globe.

Human Genetics, Your Family, and Global Health - BIOB 191N

Sarah Certel, Biological Sciences
Why study human genetics? One reason is simply to better understand ourselves. A second reason for studying human genetics is its practical value for human welfare. There is a growing understanding that genes contribute greatly to the development of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

Two fundamental biological and societal questions will be discussed; how do genes direct and/or influence our health, and how do cultural, economic, ethical, and political issues affect the testing for genetic diseases? To address the first question, students will gain a practical knowledge of human genetic principles, which will serve as a foundation to understand inherited diseases and diagnostic methodologies. In the second unit, students will discuss how economic, cultural, and political considerations impact genetic disease testing.

International Human Rights - ANTY 191E and X

GG Weix, Anthropology
Andrea Olsen, Women & Gender Studies
From comparative approaches such as the anthropology of law (Human Rights and Anthropology), this course explores human rights and underlying forms of ethical reasoning.  Drawing on specific global challenges (Half the Sky), we consider the ethical dimensions of each topic (Three Challenges to Ethics), as students learn how to apply the United Nations instruments (e.g., the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and the Millennium Development Goals). The aim is for each student to identify human rights in everyday life, analyze their social, economic and political aspects, and evaluate the ethical commitment to human rights in different communities, public policy, and law in the U.S. and other countries.  Readings in Italics.

Live Better by Consuming Less? - COMX 111A

Steve Schwarze, Communication Studies
Are current levels and patterns of consumption good for us? This course explores the divergent answers to this question. Drawing on the cross-disciplinary literature on consumption, the course will examine arguments that equate increased consumption with well-being, arguments that question the linkage of consumption with personal satisfaction, collective well-being, and social justice; and arguments that explore the impacts of current consumption patterns on biophysical systems. From this basis, students will be able to critically examine the wide range of persuasive texts that support and challenge existing patterns of consumption—advertising, corporate PR, mainstream political rhetoric, art and video projects, boycotts and buycotts, and consumption-oriented social movement campaigns. Students will engage these issues through speeches and debates in class, as well as through experiential learning such as ecological footprint measurements, field trips to the mall and landfill, and consumption “experiments” on campus.

Political Regimes and Society - PSCI 191S

Robert Saldin, Political Science
The ancient Greeks emphasized that political regimes influence societal ways of life. In this course, we will study democracy, capitalism, socialism, communism, and theocracy and seek to understand how these contemporary regimes shape citizen behavior, expectations, and aspirations. Course readings—including philosophical treatises, novels, speeches, contemporary essays, and short stories—will offer diverse perspectives that speak to the fundamental and enduring questions of human life. What is human nature, and what types of societal and political arrangements are most compatible with it? Is there a single “best” form of government, or do standards vary across societies according to culture, history, or other factors? What are the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary regimes?

Privation in a Land of Plenty: Hunger and Homelessness in the U.S - SOCI 191S

Daisy Rooks, Sociology
How can poverty and homelessness exist in a land of plenty? Students will spend the semester developing their own answers to this question. Course readings drawn from Sociology, History, Anthropology and Journalism will provide insights into the causes and consequences of hunger and homelessness in the U.S. and Montana. During the course of the semester, students will provide 15 hours of service at the Missoula Food Bank, where they will interact with individuals experiencing hunger and/or homelessness. Students will experiment with several different types of writing, including thesis-driven, personal reflection and original research. Students will strengthen their critical thinking skills by interrogating the assumptions underlying their own views and beliefs, formulating arguments using appropriate supporting evidence and discussing sensitive and emotionally-laden topics respectfully.

Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Contemporary Latin American Film and Literature - MCLG 191L

Clary Loisel, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures
We will explore the idea and reality of the intersection of race, class, gender and sexual identity.  A central focus will be developing an understanding of how systems of oppression reinforce each other and how they intersect to create an overall matrix of domination. Central to this class is the idea that there is no construction of race separate from gender, no construction of class separate from race, no construction of sexual identity separate from gender, etc.  The assignments in this class are mostly reading theory and literature, watching films, and analyzing the ways in which race, class, gender and sexuality intersect in the lives of the characters. Spanish language skills are not required. 

Same-Sex Relationships and Human Rights - LSH 191E

Ruth Vanita, Liberal Studies
The question of civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has been called the most important civil rights issue of our time; it is also seen as evidence of modern degeneracy.  Either way, it is a marker of modernity. This multidisciplinary seminar: (a) examines the history of same-sex relationships in major world civilizations, focusing in particular on ancient Greece, medieval Europe, pre-modern and modern India, and the modern United States  (b) studies two topics: marriages/unions and the question of gender (the understanding of which is inextricable from sexuality). Students will read extracts from religious, philosophical, legal and literary texts, and will learn about the philosophical debates and historical practices within world religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.  

Science in the 21^st Century - CHMY 191N

Klara Briknarova, Chemistry
Scientific understanding of the world around us has been expanding with unparalleled pace. In this seminar, we will explore recent scientific pursuits and discoveries and their impact on human lives and the society. The seminar will consist of presentations, discussions and writing assignments based on articles from Scientific American and news and commentaries from high profile science journals like Science and Nature. Topics will range from human health and medicine to technology, sustainability and space exploration, and some of the topics will be selected from science news and reports that are published at the time when the seminar is offered.

Who Are You?  Identity and Our Diverse Social World - SOCI 191S

Kathy Kuipers, Sociology
Identities influence both our immediate interactions and our perceptions of our social world.  What do we mean by identities?  Where do they come from?  How do we manage them?  In answering these questions, we take a closer look at how identities are linked to social groups—families, gender groups, cultural groups, and racial/ethnic groups.  Through literature, film, and music, we explore how identities are learned, become salient within social contexts, and are enacted globally.  At the same time, we pose and begin to answer the question:  Who Am I?  This interdisciplinary seminar gives freshmen an opportunity to explore not only what research says about identities, but also the personal dimensions of who they are, and how their self-conceptions are linked to their social world.

Women’s Rights and Women’s Roles around the World - WGSS 191X

Beth Hubble, Women & Gender Studies
Anya Jabour, History
This interdisciplinary course offers a comparative perspective on women’s participation in family, community, and political life around the world. In the first part of the course, students will learn about women’s oppression and organization in global context, emphasizing cross-cultural comparisons.  Topics include women’s work, political activism, social welfare, reproductive rights, family violence, and sex trafficking.  In the second part of the course, students will collaborate on designing a final service-learning project for public consumption. Examples include creating a website or blog; filming and editing a documentary; presenting at local schools; or designing, conducting, and reporting on a community needs survey. As a comparative course that examines women as actors in a global community, this course fulfills the General Education Requirement of Global and Indigenous Perspectives.