Global Studies Coursework

The courses that comprise my Global Studies certificate reflect my interests in Spain, Korea, and linguistics. I was able to apply linguistic concepts learned to two different languages and analyze the society and history of two distinct cultures through their films. The courses include social sciences, film studies, and even a class about food. Because of this I was able to learn about different cultures via analytic methodologies as well as the artistic expression of film and cuisine.

Coursework Descriptions

PS 0550: Introduction to Global Studies

In this course we learned to consider issues from a global perspective. We looked at how globalization is reflected through several different approaches: ecological, political, economic, and cultural.

It was interesting to learn about how although we face many of the same problems across the globe, for instance ecological problems, the effects are felt differently. This was something I hadn’t really learned about before and it really opened my eyes to the effects of the life I am able to enjoy, especially in terms of the things I buy.

For this course I wrote two papers: one on how democracy is realized through neoliberal globalization and one about the cultural effects of neoliberal ideology in different parts of the world.

LING 1267: Aspects of Sociolinguistics

Sociolingusitics deals with how language is affected by social factors like geography, class, age, and gender. We applied these concepts to societies around the world and also ones that we are familiar with in the US. We discussed how colonialism and globalism have caused language contact. We also learned how different immigrant groups and their language varieties formed the “Pittsburghese” we hear today.

We also learned about language ideologies and how speech varieties and accents are perceived positively or negatively based prejudices. For example, I wrote a paper on Disney films and how they use foreign-sounding accents to represent evil or comical characters, while heroes and love interests speak in a standard-sounding American accent.

SOC 1107: Cultural Sociology

In this course we learned about how sociologists attempt to explain a range of contemporary cultural phenomena: national cultural differences in norms and values; cultural boundaries between groups; the negotiation of cross-cultural interpersonal exchanges in everyday life; the cultural classifications of objects and events in terms of structural codes; the organizational constraints on the production of cultural objects and activities; and how people consume or respond to cultural products.

I connected this with my other interests by writing a paper about cross-cultural communication between Spaniards and Americans.

KOREAN 0075 : Intro to Korea Through Film

This was the first film class I took and I learned not only about film as a medium for storytelling but a lot of contemporary Korean history. Much of the content was related to the Korean War and the relationship between the two Koreas and South Korea’s rapid development and involvement with the US.

I wrote an essay about Peppermint Candy (박하사탕) which dealt with Korea in the decades leading up to the turn of the century. I argue that Lee Chang-dong, the film’s director, uses a nonlinear sequence of events to emphasize how we remember the past and experience personal and national history.

HIST: Contemporary Spanish Cinema

In this class, which I took at the Universidad de Sevilla, we learned about contemporary Spanish history through films. I was able to use what I had learned in the Korean film class and see how different directors used their films to tell the story of the events that happened in their countries. The majority of this course was about the Spanish Civil War and life under the dictatorship.

Some of the films we analyzed were La Niña de tus Ojos, Ana y los Lobos, and La Lengua de las Mariposas. It was interesting to watch films and learn about their inspiration while living in the country because I was able to go home and ask my host parents about them.

SPAN: Cultural Gastronomy of Spain

I took this course during my Study abroad in Seville. In it I learned about the history of Spain through its food. We looked at the trade routes that brought different ingredients to Europe via the Spanish empire and other European powers that brought spices and teas from Asia.

This course really emphasized the interconnectedness of the world and how that is demonstrated through food. However, we also learned how food is used to demonstrate divisions. Spain has been home to many religions, and during the Inquisition the use of pork in food became much more prevalent because people wanted to prove they weren’t Muslim or Jewish, and the effects of this are still seen today.

We had exams and lectures in this course, but we also had the opportunity to attend four cooking workshops throughout the semester where we practiced making traditional Spanish dishes.

Here is an example of the recipes we cooked during the workshops:

Salmorejo (a cold soup similar to gazpacho that is typical in Andalucia

Tortilla de Patata (Spanish omelette which has potatoes, onions, and eggs)

Pan de Calatrava (cold cake-like dessert soaked in milk)

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