Introduction To International and Global Studies: Course Description

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL STUDIES
INTL 1100-A01 Peter Hansen

Term A16 – CRN 13364 phansen@wpi.edu
MTTF 9:00-9:50 am, SL305 508-831-5481
Office Hours: MTh 10-11 and by appointment Office: Salisbury Labs 107
Course Description:
An introduction to the main concepts, tools, fields of study, global problems, and cross-cultural
perspectives that comprise international and global studies. No prior background is required. Especially
appropriate for students interested in any of WPI's global Project Centers.
Course Outcomes:
Students who complete this course will:
• Identify and analyze the multiple components of globalization and related global issues
• Develop and demonstrate curiosity about our changing world
• Integrate information from multiple sources to gain insight
• Articulate their own personal values and develop a plan to achieve global competency at WPI
Required Reading:
Shawn Smallman and Kimberley Brown, Introduction to International and Global Studies, Second Edition,
University of North Carolina Press, 2015
Other items will be posted on canvas.wpi.edu
Some Expectations:
Class time will be devoted to discussion of the reading assignments and current events. Attendance is
essential. You should keep abreast of current events by reading an online or print edition of a major
paper, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe or Wall Street Journal every day.
The NYT, WSJ and Globe have discounted student subscription rates; WaPo offers free all-digital
subscriptions to anyone .gov/.mil/.edu email addresses.
To be recognized as the world’s premier global polytechnic, WPI is considering requiring that all students
develop global learning or global competency. What should WPI students know or be able to do to
demonstrate global competency? We will investigate possible learning outcomes associated with this
goal, and each student will devise their own personal plan to demonstrate global learning or
competency before graduation.
Class Schedule
Going Global
Aug 25 – Introduction
Aug 26 – Contexts: read before class Smallman and Brown, chapters 1 (Intro) and 2 (History)
Political Economy of Globalization

Aug 29 – Economic globalization: read chapter 3
Aug 30 – Political Globalization: read chapter 4
Aug 31 – Global Fair (3:00-5:30 pm, Rec Center)
Sep 1 – Global Competency 1: Global Fair Assignment due
1
Sep 2 – Cultural Globalization: read chapter 5
Globalization and Culture

Sep 5 – No class: Labor Day
Sep 6 – America's Cultural Challenge; read Feigenbaum
Sep 8 – Quiz 1: Globalization
Sep 9 – Global Competency 2: Skills and Mindsets
Development in a Gendered World

Sep 12 – What is Poverty? read chapter 6
Sep 13 – Poverty Stoplight, read Martin Burt, "The 'Poverty Stoplight' Approach"
Sep 15 – Poverty Module
Sep 16 – Poverty Module
Human Security
Sep 19 – Global Competency 3: Personal Statement due
Sep 20 – Security: read chapter 7
Sep 22 – Tradeoff: Privacy in a Digital World; reading TBA
Sep 23 – Quiz 2: Development and Human Security
Global Health
Sep 26 – Food, read chapter 8
Sep 27 – Where does food come from?
Sep 29 – Health, read chapter 9 and Andrew Lakoff
Sep 30 – Global Public Health
Energy and Environment

Oct 3 – Energy, read chapter 10
Oct 4 – Environment, read chapter 11; read selections from Pope Francis, Laudato si'
Oct 4 – Social Entrepreneur session at 4 pm
Oct 6 – Discussion of Poverty Stoplight with Martin Burt
Oct 7 – Global Competency 4: What is you plan?
Global Citizenship and Global Competency

Oct 10 – Quiz 3: Health, Energy and Environment
Oct 11 – Where to Go Next, read chapters 12 and 13
Oct 13 – Global Competency Plan due
Main Assignments:
• Class Discussions: come to class prepared to our collective understanding, which entails reading
the assignments before class. In class, we will have discussions in small groups, among the class
as a whole, and some calling on students.
• Three Quizzes
• Global Competency Plan
• Current events updates: posted on canvas.wpi.edu and some discussed in class
Global Learning and Global Competency Project
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Global learning or global competency will be discussed in stages. You might think of this as a term-long
project during which you shape your own plans to achieve global competency. This will involve a visit to
the Global Fair, assessment of skills and mindsets, writing a personal statement, and outlining the steps
you plan to take to achieve global competency while at WPI.
Current Events Updates

Once a week, you will post a comment and link to a discussion board on "What We're Reading." In the
What We’re Reading newsletter from the NYT, correspondents highlight stories from around the web
with a pithy paragraph and link. You will do the same: your weekly post should identify an article,
provide a link, and say why you found it interesting and relevant to international and global studies.
Daily, I will randomly call on students for their current events update. Everyone should be prepared to
mention a current events update each day important stories or events in international and global
studies.
Grading Criteria:
You will earn a letter grade evaluating your performance for the term. This term grade reflects your
work in each area of the course:
• Attendance and class discussion: 25%
• Three quizzes (15% each): 45%
• Global Competency Project: 25%
• Current events updates: 5%
Class Discussion
Students must participate in class discussions in order to perform well in the course. Effective
participation during in-class or online discussions requires students to prepare by doing the readings and
other assignments ahead of time. Participation will be assessed each class on a scale of 0 to 3, based on
the following criteria:
0: Unexcused absence
1: Present without participation
2: Reasonable participation
3: Excellent participation
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

As in every course or project at WPI, students are expected to understand and to abide by the Academic
Honesty Policy: see http://www.wpi.edu/offices/policies/honesty/policy.html Any work you submit
must be your own. If you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism, or the proper use of
sources, quotations, paraphrasing, or endnotes, please see me. You are responsible for your work.
Citation and Style Guides

For any assignment that goes beyond the assigned text, you need to cite your sources. You may use any
of citation systems for the humanities or social sciences (such as Chicago, MLA, APA) as long as you use
that style consistently. WPI has a site-license to Endnote, which allows you to download and manage
citations electronically. See the library for more: http://libguides.wpi.edu/citingsources
Disability Services
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you have medical
information to share with me that may impact your performance or participation in this course, please
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make an appointment with me as soon as possible. If you have approved accommodations, please go to
the Exam Proctoring Center (EPC) in Morgan Hall to pick up Letters of Accommodation. If you have not
already done so, students with disabilities who need to utilize accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS) as soon as possible to ensure that such
accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. This office can be contacted via email:
DisabilityServices@wpi.edu, via phone: (508) 831-4908, or in person: Daniels Hall First Floor (124 or
137).
Writing Center
Located on the first floor of Daniels Hall (room 116), the Writing Center is a valuable resource for
helping you improve as a writer. Writing Center tutors are your peers (other undergraduate and
graduate students at WPI) who are experienced writers and who enjoy helping others. Although a single
tutoring session should never be seen as a quick fix for writing difficulty, these sessions can help you
identify your strengths and weaknesses, and teach you strategies for organizing, revising, and editing
your course papers, projects, and presentations. Writing Center services are free and open to all WPI
students in all classes, and tutors will happily work with you at any stage of the writing process (early
brainstorming, revising a draft, polishing sentences in a final draft). Visit the Writing Center website
http://wpi.edu/+writing to make an appointment.
Classroom Digital Etiquette/Cell Phone Policy

Digital etiquette requires that phones or other electronic devices in the classroom be used only for
purposes related to class work. If you have a cell phone, smart phone, or other mobile communication
device, put it in silent mode or turn it off during class. If you have a laptop or smartphone in class, use it
only to take notes but not for other purposes such as email, games, Facebook, and so forth. No text-
messaging on any devices during class, please. Such activity distracts you and other students, and limits
your participation in our class discussion. In case an emergency requires you to use a phone or other
device, discuss the unique circumstances with the instructor. Please try to maintain an atmosphere in
which the use of electronic devices does not have to be prohibited from the classroom.
Work Outside of Class

This 1/3 unit (3-credit hour) course requires 4 hours of classroom instruction and at least 15 hours of
out-of-class student work each week for approximately 7 weeks. Out-of-class work may include but is
not limited to required reading, research, lab or project work and writing assignments.
Course Website
The course website on canvas.wpi.edu will have further details for assignments, projects, and electronic
access to copies of reading assignments that were not ordered to the bookstore. Students will post
some materials on electronic discussion boards.

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INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL STUDIES

INTL 1100-A01 Peter Hansen

Political Economy of Globalization

Globalization and Culture

Development in a Gendered World

Energy and Environment

Global Citizenship and Global Competency

Global Learning and Global Competency Project

Current Events Updates

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

Citation and Style Guides

Classroom Digital Etiquette/Cell Phone Policy

Work Outside of Class

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