International Studies
Courses
Note: The majority of International Studies courses are offered by other departments, such as Economics, History, Political Science, etc., and can be found in the course listings of those departments.
INS 1008: Introduction to Global Studies
This course introduces issues, perspectives and visions of the global age with the objective of developing a multidisciplinary framework for analyzing problems that can be applied to a variety of global problems. Topics include euro-centrism, the cold war, cross-border movements, the problem of global slums, inequality and the world economy, ethnic conflict and religious extremism, and other issues affecting the world scene. (Fall/Spring)
INS 2001: Comparative Literature and Culture (3 cr.)
This course will examine selected literary texts and films both as expressions of specific national identities and in their intercultural relatedness. Though historical roots will be treated, emphasis will be on contemporary manifestations of the cultural issues of Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, migrants, Latin America and Asia. (Fall)
INS 2050: Environmental Geography (3 cr.)
This course is an introduction to the holistic study of the relationship between humans and the environment in a global context, including the cultural, technological and economic dimensions of environmental problems. It will examine the earth's regions and ecosystems and trace the impact over time of human populations on the earth's resources. Current issues such as increased resource consumption and waste generation will be highlighted, as well as the current agencies and regulations that mediate the relationship between humans and the environment.
INS 3003: Senior Seminar in International Studies (3 cr.)
An integrative seminar meant to pull together the diverse elements of international studies, including economic, political, historic, literary and cultural aspects. This course is usually taken by International Studies majors in their senior year; the senior thesis is written in conjunction with the course. International Studies majors who will not be present at Manhattanville in the Fall semester of their senior year may take the course in their junior year with the consent of the instructor. (Fall)
INS 3056: From WWII to Reunification: The Cinema of East and West Germany (4 cr.)
This course looks at the films produced in the two Germanys during the 40 years of that country’s separation into West (FRG)
and East (GDR), analyzing them both as aesthetic vehicles and as expressions of a particular political-historical context. Films will include those of now world-famous directors such as Frank Beyer, Konrad Wolf, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Margarethe von Trotta, Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders. Films are in German with English subtitles. Lectures and supplementary readings are in English. (Spring)
INS 3060: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Germany: Edgar Reitz’ Film “Heimat” (4 cr.)
This course uses Edgar Reitz’ epic 16 hour film “Heimat” [in German, with English subtitles] to investigate German socio-historical developments from the end of World War I to Germany‘s political and economic dominance of Europe in the 1980‘s. Praised for it’s emotional intensity, cinematic beauty and attention to detail, the film is an excellent vehicle for learning about the events of modern German history and their effect on individual lives. Lectures and readings are in English. (Spring)