Faculty with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service will be offering these courses for Fall 2022.
IDH2930: (Un)Common Reads: Democracy in Black and White – Florida’s History of Bi-Racial Democracy
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This seminar-style course will involve reading and responding to Emancipation Betrayed: The Hidden History of Black Organizing and White Violence in Florida from Reconstruction to the Bloody Election of 1920 by Dr. Paul Ortiz, a must-read for any Floridian who is a student of how we as a society have arrived at the current state of our democracy. Students will also read complementary sources like old newspapers, oral histories and congressional archives, and complete weekly discussion posts as well as one 1,250-2000 word capstone essay. The course is taught by Dr. Kevin Bird, the director of experiential learning at the Bob Graham Center, who holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Florida and a master’s in history from the University of Southern Mississippi.
IDS4930: Culture and Politics in Southeast Asia
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This course introduces the diverse nation states, people, and governments of contemporary Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis of the intersections between culture and politics in the region. The countries of SE Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, East Timor, and Brunei) emerged from the age of imperialism with newly minted borders, a variety of political systems, and tensions between different segments of the population over the definition and future of the nation. Today, even as Southeast Asia has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth and development, tensions related to culture and politics remain, and we will explore this theme through the topics of postcolonial nation building, ethnic conflict, nationalism and cultural pluralism, indigenous rights, gender roles, religious practices, education and language, and how the forces of globalization and state visions of modernization impact local cultures and communities.
INS3004: Perspectives in International Studies
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This is the required entry course for the major in International Studies. It will introduce you to the contemporary international system, the major regions of the world, to the academic disciplines that make up the field of International Studies, and to several major issues in world politics today.
IDS 2338: Democratic Engagement and Public Leadership
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Being a citizen implies a certain set of individual responsibilities that are essential to a healthy and functioning democracy. Fulfilling one’s role as a citizen requires engaged and informed participation. This course provides the tools and skills needed to be an effective citizen and offers opportunities for engagement and experiential learning. From the founding documents to the role of the press in politics, this course provides an understanding of how the past informs current political debate.