Global Studies

The Global Studies major is an interdisciplinary major concerned with the interconnected and interdependent nature of the contemporary world. Its main task is to understand how sites, objects, and concepts contribute to worldwide connections, from ecological concerns to human rights campaigns. Students majoring in Global Studies will take courses throughout the College, often with particular interests in Anthropology, Environmental Studies, History, or a specific regional study.
Instead of beginning with “global” and “local," the typical categories of globalization studies, the Global Studies program contends that the distinctions between sites and trends, between objects far and near, and between the cosmopolitan and the vernacular emerge from empirical studies. Students are encouraged to exercise close attention to mundane practices, everyday materialities, and lived experiences. With a good grounding in case studies, students in the program are expected to be able to reflect upon the implications of their research interests, both inside and outside the classroom. Students carry these interests on to a variety of careers and professional opportunities following graduation.
Students must complete a total of 13 courses (including one approved elective and two BA seminars), a research activity, and a language requirement, broken down in the following manner:
Introductory Courses (2 courses) All students are required to take the two-quarter introductory sequence to the major, GLST 23101-23102 Global Studies I-II. These courses are offered annually and in sequence in the Autumn and Winter Quarters. Students are expected to complete the sequence in their second year, if possible, especially if they plan to study abroad during their third year.
Thematic Tracks (8 courses) The body of the major (eight courses in all) is comprised of courses selected from four overlapping thematic tracks of study. Students will select two tracks, a primary and a secondary one, and complete five courses in the former and three in the latter. The selection of the primary and secondary tracks should be linked to the student’s BA research interests. The tracks are outlined below with sample classes that might fall within each category, but more detailed information about these tracks may be found on the Global Studies website.
Bodies and Nature This track focuses on bodily nature (broadly construed) and ecological relationships. Particular attention is paid to environmental and health-related topics, and not always with a focus on human beings. Themes could range from sustainability, ecotourism, and pandemics to modern beauty practices, health movements, and animal studies.
BIOS 13140 The Public and Private Lives of Insects GRMN 24416 Biocentrism: The Concept of Life in German Literature and Art ANTH 28210 Colonial Ecologies
Knowledge and Practice This track focuses on the production and circulation of knowledge, with an eye towards how that process is situated. Often there will be a science and technology component, but other times habitual/instinctual know-how will be highlighted. Themes could range from regulatory standards, countercultural movements, and cultural artifacts to consumer politics and media studies.
HIST 24206 Medicine and Culture in Modern East Asia ENGL 29202 Objects, Things, and Other Things SOCI 20208 Internet and Society      
Cultures at Work This track focuses on the entanglements of culture, economics, and politics. It focuses on cultural production, often of a physical nature, as well as cultural modes of reception. Themes could range from global brands, sweatshops, and rituals of food production/consumption to gaming and consumer politics. Much of “everyday life” would also apply.
ANTH 21725 Mass Mediated Society and Japan GLST 24101 Paperwork ECON 22650 Creativity
Governance and Affiliations This track focuses on politics and claims to authority within power relations. It tries to stand a middle ground between extremes of privileging nation-states and solely valuing micro-sites of governance. Themes could range from UN agencies to online protests, humanitarian intervention to surveillance and corporate governance.
CRES 22150 Contemporary African American Politics PLSC 27016 Popular Culture, Art, and Autocracy PLSC 29500 Drugs, Guns, and Money: The Politics of Criminal Conflict
Elective (1 course) Students will select one elective course to further their BA research, often late in their third or early in their fourth year. This course should be chosen after discussion with the program administrator, and can include:
These options are not exhaustive and should only be used as guiding ideas for the elective requirement. Students should seek program approval for their choice of elective course before registering, and the elective should be completed before the Winter Quarter of the student's fourth year.
Research Activity Requirement Students will be expected to complete a structured activity or program exploring global issues related to their intended BA project, often in an international setting.
This major activity might be:
Students should work with the program administrator to identify appropriate opportunities and should have their activity approved ahead of the experience itself. Most activities should last no less than six weeks, though intensive programs with shorter durations may be considered.
The research activity should be linked to the student’s BA thesis and serve as an introduction to that topic. International experiences are encouraged for the completion of this requirement, but the requirement may be met with domestic projects dealing with global issues (for example, an internship with a domestic NGO).
BA Seminars and Thesis (2 courses) Students are required to take the two-quarter BA seminar (GLST 29800 BA Thesis Seminar I and GLST 29801 BA Thesis Seminar II) in Autumn and Winter Quarters of their fourth year. The first BA deadline occurs during the Spring Quarter of a student’s third year. At that time, students must have submitted a topic proposal, secured a faculty reader, and completed a faculty reader form. The final version of the BA thesis is due by the second Friday of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate. Successful completion of the thesis requires a passing grade from the faculty reader.
The Global Studies major thesis must be clearly organized around a contemporary global issue. Students may double-major, but double-majoring with another program that also requires a BA thesis would entail (a) the second major's program accepting the Global Studies thesis as fulfilling that program's BA requirements or (b) the student completing an additional BA thesis for the second major.
Regardless of the requirements of the second major, Global Studies majors are required to complete both quarters of the fourth-year BA seminar. Thesis seminars from other major programs will not count toward the Global Studies BA Thesis Seminar requirement.
Foreign Language Requirement The Global Studies language requirement can be completed in two ways:
Students with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher and an in-major GPA of 3.5 or higher will be eligible for honors. For the awarding of honors, the BA thesis must also be judged "high pass" by the faculty reader.
Students should select their courses for the Global Studies major in close consultation with the program administrator. The Global Studies program publishes a list of courses approved for the major each quarter, both online and outside the Global Studies program office, Gates-Blake 119.
Students should meet with the program administrator early in their final year to be sure they have fulfilled all requirements.
Students who are majoring in Global Studies must receive quality grades in all courses meeting the requirements of the degree program (i.e., they cannot use Pass/Fail or audited courses for major requirements).
GLST 23101-23102. Global Studies I-II.
This is the Global Studies program’s core sequence, typically taken during a student’s second year. Global Studies I is an orientation course for students interested in majoring in Global Studies, while Global Studies II seeks to impart important theories and research practices through intensive, critical readings.
GLST 23101. Global Studies I. 100 Units.
The first course in the two-quarter Global Studies core sequence.
Instructor(s): Larisa Jasarevic     Terms Offered: Autumn
GLST 23102. Global Studies II. 100 Units.
The second course in the two-quarter Global Studies core sequence.
Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): GLST 23101
GLST 23403. Borders, (Im)mobilities and Human Rights. 100 Units.
What is the human cost of border control? To what extent do individuals possess the right to move to other states? How do different states with large populations of refugees and asylum seekers develop and enforce migration policies, and what do the differences in these policies reveal about the social histories and futures of these states? To address these questions, we will consider how borders, institutions, and categories of migrant groups mutually shape one another. We will explore the interrelationships between categories of migration-forced, economic, regular, and irregular-in order to understand the multiple and unequal forms of mobility experienced by those who inhabit these categories. By utilizing a framework of human rights, this course will investigate how contemporary issues in migration-such as border management, illicit movement, and the fuzzy distinction between forced and economic migration-raise and reopen debates concerning the management of difference. We will draw on the work of anthropologists, sociologists, and geographers, as well as journalists, legal, and medical professionals. Our readings each week will include a mix of conceptual, ethnographic, long-form journalism, and policy texts. When possible, we will also invite representatives from different Chicago-based organizations that promote and protect the rights of people in various situations of migration to come to our class to discuss their work.
Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 25255, CHDV 23403, HMRT 23403
GLST 23404. Forced Exile: Displacement, Development and Disaster. 100 Units.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), forced migration involves coercion, including threats to life and livelihood that arise from natural or human-induced causes. What constitutes coercion, and who deserves to migrate? How are threats to life and livelihood recognized and to what extent can they be minimized? In this course, we will examine the conditions of forced exile, ranging from violence and persecution, to environmental degradation and climate change, to the economic decimation of local communities. Moreover, we will critically examine how governments and international organizations respond to forced exile through securitization techniques and long term development projects to reduce the so called "push factors" that compel people to migrate. We will draw on a range of materials, including ethnographies, policy documents, documentaries, and the perspectives of course visitors, to examine cases of forced migration in Syria, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Haiti, and elsewhere.
Instructor(s): D. Ansari     Terms Offered: Winter Prerequisite(s): N/A Note(s): CHDV Distribution Area: C Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 23404, HMRT 23404
GLST 23406. Migration Trajectories: Ethnographies of Place and the Production of Diasporas. 100 Units.
Global movements of people have resulted in a substantial number of immigrant communities whose navigation of various facets of everyday life has been complicated by restrictive citizenship regimes and immigration policies, as well as linguistic and cultural differences. The experiences of a wide range of individuals involved in migration raise the following questions: what strategies do immigrants use to negotiate transnational identities and what are the implications of these strategies? How do future generations manage simultaneous and intersectional forms of belonging? To address these questions, we will draw on ethnographic texts that explore various facets of transnational migration, such as diasporas, place, citizenship, mobility, and identities. The term "trajectories," reflects different situations of migration that are not necessarily linear or complete. Moreover, term "place" is meant to capture the continuity between displacement and emplacement, and to critically analyze the durability associated with notions of 'sending' and 'receiving' countries. Lastly, rather than take diasporas as a given, we will explore the ways that they are produced and enacted in a variety of geographic contexts.
Instructor(s): D. Ansari     Terms Offered: Spring Note(s): CHDV Distribution Areas: B, C Equivalent Course(s): CHDV 23406, CRES 23406, ANTH 22835
GLST 24110. In the Beginning": Origin Stories in Science and Religion. 100 Units.
What is the origin of the universe? What is the origin of humanity? These questions have generated a plethora of answers, many of which fall within domains of what we now consider to be science and religion. However, as we will see through our readings, these two categories are hard to define; classifications often overlap, and science and religion intertwine throughout history and until today. What do we call "myth," and what do we term "theory"? In this class, we will focus on not only the cultural embeddedness of religious and scientific narratives, but also the cultural implications of these texts. The course begins with origin stories and asks students to consider their power in shaping our world and perspectives, focusing on the ethical dimensions and implications of these narratives. What kind of relationships do we imagine among human beings, and between human and nonhuman beings in this world, given particular origin stories as our starting point? Finally, in relation to this goal of interrogating the ethical import of origin narratives, this course will close by asking whether we can imagine other kinds of origin stories (such as in the genre of science fiction), and what implications these imaginal narratives hold.
Instructor(s): Sartell, Elizabeth     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): RLST 28110
GLST 24111. A Sense of Humour: Medicine between India, Antiquity, and Islam. 100 Units.
In this course we will examine the medical body from its appearance as a humoral entity - embedded in culturally specific relationships to the natural world, non-human agents, institutions of state power, and moral imaginaries - to its formation as an object of professional medicine under the reign of experts. This examination will involve reading medical texts in translation from Greece, India and the Islamic world, as well as ethnographic and historical commentary on these medical discourses. We will work in roughly in chronological order from ancient India through the period 'When Asia Was the World', to the height of European empires. And we will attend to the specific sites which mediate the production and practice of humoral medical knowledge: textual conventions, institutions of medical care, patient-healer relationships, and political forms. Our reading will revolve around some central questions: What are humors, and what kinds of social and medical work do they do? How does humoral medicine transcend questions of medical efficacy and imply theories of personhood and ethics? How does humoral medical knowledge transform across cultural spaces? How and why does it survive the formation of positivist medicine in the nineteenth and twentieth century? By investigating the cultural and historical variation in the meaning of medical knowledge, students will better perceive the social meaning of medicine, and better appraise public issues related to medicine and well-being.
Instructor(s): Datoo, Sabrina     Terms Offered: Spring
GLST 24112. Taste and Technoscience. 100 Units.
This course examines the politics of food in the age of mass production, taking the sensory dimension of food as its orienting lens. From artificial flavors to molecular gastronomy, the 20th Century has been marked by technological innovations in our food. These changes have not only transformed what we eat but also how our food is made and how we think about what it does to our bodies, shifting the meaning of ideas about what constitutes "taste," "flavor," and even "food" itself. We will discuss what role scientific expertise has played in shaping how taste is produced as an intimate bodily experience. On the one hand, we will read historical and ethnographic accounts of the work of technoscientific professionals responsible for the design, analysis and production of the tastes and flavors of foods. Rarely rising to the level of explicit marketing, the scientific design of tastes and flavors forms the invisible infrastructure behind the dependable, even pleasurable, routines of everyday life: from the satisfying crunch of morning cereal to the indulgent sweet midnight snack. We will read social scientific literature examining the sites and methods for making and measuring the taste, flavor, texture and smell of food. We will situate ethnographic and historical readings within broader cultural discussions about the role and form of mass commodity production in contemporary life, the social life of chemicals, and the history and anthropology of the senses.
Instructor(s): Butler, Ella     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 22170
GLST 24425. Ships, Trains, and Planes: A Global History of Vessels and Voyagers, 18th Century to the Present. 100 Units.
From "La Amistad" to the airplanes of September 11, vessels make history. And yet, we often take for granted the fact that they also contain history. Investigating the sociocultural pasts of vessels and the politics of mobility, this course poses two overarching questions. How have ships, trains, and airplanes shaped the behavior and outlooks of modern humans, and how has the experience of being in transit evolved over the past three centuries? Beginning with sailing ships of the eighteenth century and winding its way to the airplane via steamships and railways, the course explores how vehicles and transit have inspired and coerced humans into unique forms of subjectivity. Through case studies and primary sources from across world history, vessels in transit will be analyzed as engines of modernity and sites of emancipation, but also as tools of terror and laboratories of power.
Instructor(s): C. Fawell     Terms Offered: Spring Equivalent Course(s): ANTH 22161, HIST 29425
GLST 24514. Colonial Power in East Asia. 100 Units.
This course takes a transnational and comparative approach to the study of colonialism in East Asia from the Opium Wars through the end of World War I. Using foundational theories of postcolonial scholarship as a starting template, we will explore the interrelationship of colonial power and ideologies of race and gender across China, Japan, and Korea during the nineteenth century. Critically evaluating both primary and secondary sources will help us contextualize the development of the Japanese empire within a larger narrative of the expansion of Euro-American colonial power into East Asia. In doing so, we will discover that sites of empire in East Asia often destabilize the most common binaries of postcolonial study: Occident/Orient, colonizer/colonized, white/other, and premodern/modern.
Instructor(s): J. Dahl     Terms Offered: Winter Equivalent Course(s): EALC 24514, CRES 24514, HIST 24514, GNSE 24514.
GLST 25311