December 15, 2006
Contact: Ronnie Hess, Director of Communications, Division of International Studies,
UW-Madison, (608) 262-5590, rlhess@wisc.edu
NEW INTERNATIONAL COURSES ATTRACT
NEW STUDENTS
Madison, WI – Several new international studies courses will be offered at UW-Madison in spring 2006. The courses reflect new faculty scholarship and research at the University as well as increased student interest in a wide range of international studies courses, both on the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Among the new offerings are:
- Introduction to the Middle East (Language and Cultures of Asia
300) - Topics in Global Security: Introduction to Global Studies (International
Studies 601) - The Politics of Green Voters and Consumers (European Studies 804
but cross listed in the departments of German, French, Sociology, History,
and
Political Science) - Health, Illness and Healing in Contemporary Africa (Anthropology
901) - The Vampire in Literature and Film (Literature in Translation 248)
- Humanities
Topics in East Asian Studies: “Korean Popular Culture” (East
Asian Studies 300) - Italian Feminism in European Context (Italian 540)
- Fabricating Europe and
the Discourses of Research, Teaching and Teacher Education (Curriculum and
Instruction 916) - The German Language and Immigration in International Perspective
(European Studies 804, cross-listed in the departments of German, French,
Sociology,
History, and Political Science)
“ The new courses reflect both the amazing breadth and depth of our international
studies course offerings,” says Aili Tripp, associate dean of International
Studies and a professor of political science and women’s studies. “They
are evidence of how hard our faculty work to develop new courses to ensure
that students are aware of emerging global trends. The courses are certain
to be enormously popular.”
Introduction to the Middle East, taught by Professor Uli Schamiloglu (Languages and Cultures of Asia), will be a required core course for the new certificate in Middle East Studies (approval anticipated in 2006). It is open to anyone interested in learning more about this fascinating and important region.
Topics in Global Security: Introduction to Global Studies, taught by Professor Michael
Curtin (Communication Arts) will examine globalization as a central phenomenon of the contemporary era.
The Politics of Green Voters and Consumers, a broadly interdisciplinary graduate seminar taught by Elizabeth Covington (European Studies), will focus on comparative transatlantic environmentalism and consumerism. The course is being planned in consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Bavarian Ministry for the Environment and Consumer protection with a view to participation in a long term transatlantic working group on environmental regulatory reform.
Health, Illness and Healing, taught by Professor Claire Wendland, who is also an M.D., (Anthropology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical History and Bioethics) will examine current major health issues in Africa from an interdisciplinary perspective, focusing on contemporary Africa as well as issues in international politics.
The Vampire in Literature, taught by Professor Toma Longinovic (Slavic Languages), explores the figure of the vampire as an evolving cultural artifact, serving both as a means of self-identification by various Slavic and East European nations, as well as a lens for the rest of the world for viewing the region.
Humanities Topics in East Asian Studies: “Korean Popular Culture,” taught by Inkyu Kang (East Asian Studies) will use Korean popular culture as a window
into a deeper understanding of contemporary Korean culture and society, using
an interdisciplinary media and cultural studies approach. The “Korean
Wave” of Korean popular media culture has become a phenomenon in neighboring
countries including Japan and China, where Korean films, TV shows, anime, pop
music, have found a devoted following.
Italian Feminism in European Context,
taught by Professor Grazia Menechella (French and Italian) focuses on the history
and development of Italian feminism
from the end of the 19th century to the present. Students will investigate
the history, theory and practice of Italian feminism within the cultural and
political context of modern Europe. The course is in English.
Fabricating Europe and the Discourses of Research, teaching and Teacher Education, taught by Professor Thomas Popkewitz (Curriculum and Instruction) focuses on
reforms of curriculum, teacher education and school research in the European Union, Turkey, and Russia.
The German Language and Immigration in International
Perspective, taught by Professors Rob Howell (German), Joe Salmons (German),
Paul Roberge (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill) and Mark Louden (German and co-director of the Max Kade Institute) will examine the linguistic consequences of immigration in German-speaking immigration to Wisconsin, contemporary immigration to Germany, and German Sprachinseln in Eastern Europe/Central Asia. The goal is to integrate and synthesize various disciplinary approaches to the problem, and bring German-American Studies and contemporary German/European problems together in a novel and constructive way.
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