Spring 2022
Changing Places in Changing Environments: Russophone Diasporas and the Mid-Atlantic
The UNHCR estimates that “extreme weather events, such as abnormally heavy rainfall, prolonged droughts, desertification, environmental degradation, or sea-level rise and cyclones are already causing an average of more than 20 million people to leave their homes and move to other areas in their countries each year.” Our era of immense environmental upheaval is striking in its urgency and scale, but far from unprecedented. This cluster focuses on the notion of ecological displacement through humanistic and scientific lenses. We examine ecological displacement, both real and imagined, through the literature and lived experiences of Russian-speaking (i.e., Russophone) people, and consider how other organisms have faced ecological displacement historically and how our species must act on sustainability initiatives as we ourselves face becoming ecological exiles due to climatic change. A focal point of this 360 cluster will be five days of travel to western Pennsylvania (Altoona and Pittsburgh) and New York City to gain special insight into the concept of ecological displacement.
Courses:
- BIOL 230: Ecological Exiles and Sustainability (Sydne Record, Biology)
- RUSS 234: Ecological Displacement in Russophone Literature (José Vergara, Russian)
- RUSS 228: Russian Narratives of Displacement and Acculturation (Irina Walsh, Russian)
360 Course Units: 3 units
Field Component: 5-day field study in Altoona, Pittsburgh, and New York City (tentatively scheduled March 7-11, 2022)
Special Programming: local field trips, guest speakers
Prerequisites: none
Approaches Met: CI, IP, SI
Open/Closed: all courses open to non-360 students
**NOTE: All courses taught in English**
Europe from the Margins
Established narratives of Europe tend to be Western European and focused on high politics. This cluster changes the focus from structures to stories, using an interdisciplinary approach (incorporating political science, history, and German studies) to critically examine Europe’s past and present from the margins. What does Europe look like from the perspectives of those whose voices are usually missing from mainstream narratives – the disempowered, queers, migrant laborers, artists, refugees, and people from Europe’s eastern and southern peripheries? By inserting and foregrounding perspectives of the historically marginalized along with an examination of their theoretical, cultural, and political contributions to European society, this 360 aims to provide critical analytical tools to not only foster greater understanding of the broader context of modern Europe but to rethink what Europe itself is.
The field trip to Berlin will provide an opportunity to examine historical legacies as well as current cultural politics and grassroots initiatives of the marginalized.
Courses:
- GERM 217: Representing Diversity in German Cinema (Qinna Shen, German)
- HIST 238: “From Bordellos to Cybersex” – The History of Sexuality in Modern Europe (Anita Kurimay, History)
- POLS 205: European Politics: Coming Together or Falling Apart? (Carol Hager, Political Science)
360 Course Units: 3 units
Field Component: 10-day field study in Berlin, Germany (tentatively scheduled March 3-12, 2022)
Special Programming: Guest speakers, film series, group lunches
Prerequisites: none
Approaches Met: CI, CC, IP
Open/Closed: HIST 238 and POLS 205 available to non-360 students; GERM 217 available to 360 students only
Spring 2024
delayed due to field site conditions
Nicaragua: Places and Names
This cluster focuses on the rich geologic and linguistic history and present of Nicaragua to explore the ongoing interconnectedness between landscape and language. Central to this cluster is the theme that a place must be explored through a variety of lenses to be more fully understood. In geology, the places of Central America are often discussed because of the active tectonism that affects that region but rarely cover how geology and people intersect to produce the full history of a place. Likewise, the languages spoken in Nicaragua and those used to name (the places of) Nicaragua offer an additional view into the history of colonialism and empire and the ongoing power dynamics resulting from this.
Courses:
- GEOL 350: Geology and Place: Nicaragua (Pedro Marenco, Geology)
- LING 105: Language and Place: Nicaragua (Brook Lillehaugen, Linguistics)
360 Course Units: 2 units
Field Component: 10-day field study in Granada/Ometepe, Nicaragua (tentatively scheduled March 3-12, 2022)
Special Programming: Language learning opportunities, group dinners
Prerequisites: SI requirement must have been met
Approaches Met: CC
Open/Closed: all courses available to 360 students only
