East Asian Security
INST/PLSC 3650
T/Th 10:15-12:20
Dr Zhang
East Asia is one of the most important and dynamic regions in world politics. During the Cold War, the region went through intense ideological competition and armed conflicts. In the post-Cold War era, East Asian has seen major power shifts, with uncertain trajectories and outcomes. Through the theoretical lenses of International Relations, this course examines the key security issues (e.g., territorial disputes, armed conflicts, nuclear proliferation, and regional security architecture) and changing dynamics (e.g., power transition) in East Asia. With an understanding of how the regional security order is constructed and changing, the course also addresses the implications for the U.S.'s security policies and presence across East Asia.
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(De)Constructing Community Development in Mexico (Migration Justice with Kino Border Initiative), 1-3 variable credit
HUMT 3850-01
T/ 6:00–8:00pm
Dr Hudgins
The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." While migration is more a natural phenomenon in response to social, economic, political, and environmental drivers than a ‘common problem,’ this describes the emergence of the Kino Border Initiative and its work with migrants in Nogales. This variable credit course immerses you in the complexities of migration in the borderlands, with a focus on making humane, just, workable migration between the US and Mexico a reality. The immersion also provides a personal lens through which to critically reflect on your own aspirations for social change and global citizenship.
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Information Sessions: May 3, 2022 at 4:00pm in Casey 130
May 5, 2022 at 12:30pm in Casey 130
(De)Constructing Community Development in Mexico (Housing Justice with Fundación Esperanza de Mexico), 1-3 variable credit
HUMT 3850-02
Th/ 6:00–8:00pm
Dr Hudgins
The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." The challenges families face in Tijuana of finding stable and dignified housing are being addressed by Fundación Esperanza de Mexico (FEM), a Mexican non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on community development and empowered citizenship. This variable credit course immerses you in the complexities of community development in the borderlands, with a focus on empowering community members for lasting social change. The immersion also provides a personal lens through which to critically reflect on your own aspirations for social change and global citizenship.
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Information Sessions: May 3, 2022 at 4:00pm in Casey 130
May 5, 2022 at 12:30pm in Casey 130
Borders and Boundaries
UCOR 1600-05
M/W 3:40-5:45
Dr Andolina
This course examines the construction and consequences of borders across the world. Students develop their analytical, presentation and writing skills as they learn how international boundaries work on local, national and transnational levels. Substantive topics include borderland cultures, collective identities, international order, migration processes, and security policies. Assignments involve written essays, oral presentations, in-depth research, and group collaboration.
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US–Mexico Border
INST 3910-01 / UCOR 3600-05
T/Th 3:45–5:50
Dr Hudgins
US - Mexico Border: Contemporary Perspectives will examine the complexities of im/migration in the US-Mexico borderlands and beyond. The course is built on an understanding that borders are everywhere and are often conditional: between dominant and non-dominant cultures, peoples, and systems. Borders are both real and imagined, often a liminal space of othering that results from structural violence. Using a human security lens and an interdisciplinary (e.g. social, economic, cultural, historical, political, and environmental) approach, you will deepen your understanding of the existing contexts, consequences, and challenges of im/migration in a borderlands context. An explicit goal of the course is to contribute toward positive change in the dynamic reality faced by those who experience myriad forms of human insecurity. This will take the form of a quarter-long community-based participatory action research (CBPR) project in our local community that investigates the impact of borders on western Washington’s im/migrant population.
Depending on university decisions on fall quarter study abroad programs, over winter break, you may choose to participate in the Global Citizenship Research Project, the purpose of which is to investigate the development global citizenship through empowerment of a community of learners consisting of Seattle University students and community members in Tijuana, Mexico, all of whom serve as participant-observers in the assessment process. This CBPR project was collaboratively constructed by faculty, staff, student, and community partners representing the 25-year campus-community partnership between Seattle University (SU) and Fundación Esperanza de Mexico (FEM), a non-governmental organization (NGO) that promotes empowered citizenship and responsible community development. Our goal is to better understand how the collaborative work of FEM and SU develop empowered global citizens. A one-credit companion course (HUMT 3910-02, (De)constructing Community Development in Mexico) provides a mixed methods research experience while offering a personal lens through which to view your own aspirations for social change and empowered global citizenship.
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Central America Conflict & Rev
UCOR 1600-06
M/W 3:40–5:45
Dr Cosgrove
This course explores the roots and present-day ramifications of conflict, war, and revolution in Central America with a special focus on Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Central America—an isthmus facing both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean—is presently home to diverse groups, including Mestizos, multiple Indigenous groups, and Afro-descendant peoples.
When Central America gained independence from Spain and Britain in the early 1800s, colonial representatives transferred power to a new elite class descended from the intermarriage of Europeans and Indigenous peoples. In many cases, this class continues to dominate economically and politically. U.S. neocolonial policies have often reinforced this dominance through economic policies, foreign aid, and military assistance, implicating the United States in the present-day situation of the region.
In response to inequality and other injustices, social movements and civil society organizations have long challenged the status quo. This course will use a grounded, intersectional analysis to understand the challenges and opportunities that arise today due to this history of conflict and revolution, which has involved the repression of political activists and the systemic exclusion of rural, indigenous, and afro-descendant peoples. These experiences have also generated numerous example of progressive leadership and community resistance.
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