Thematic Transdisciplinary Clusters A Thematic Transdisciplinary Cluster is a trio of thematically‐related courses from University Studies and departmental majors that allows students to investigate a common theme through multiple disciplinary lenses. Through the completion of a cluster, students will develop their critical thinking skills by integrating the methods and findings specific to each disciplinary perspective. Cross‐disciplinary study equips students with the skills to seek creative solutions to difficulties they will encounter when dealing with the complex problems that shape our modern world. At least 9 credit hours and three courses are required. All courses are eligible for multiple counting. Students who complete a minor, a second major, or a University Studies Advisory Committee‐approved concentration in their major are exempt from the cluster requirement. Students will declare the cluster theme online in mySeaport (Major Declaration/Curricular Updates), and will select courses with at least two different departmental prefixes from one of the following clusters (approved courses for each Cluster are listed in the following pages): Ancient Thought and Culture Child and Adolescent Studies Climate Change and Society Coastal Health and Environment Evolution Foundations for Systems Thinking Gender and Social Justice Global Diversity Human Behavior Human Rights Immigration Judaism and the Jewish People Linguistics Modeling Public Health and Human Development 29 September 2015 Ancient Thought and Culture The study of ancient Western thought and culture is a critical part of the human intellectual, cultural and historical heritage, both for Western countries formed by it and for all of modern global culture that has been influenced by it. The study of Western art, history, literature, philosophy and religion is highly appropriate for integrative disciplinary studies, which can only enhance one another. The study of ancient Athens is at once the study of the Parthenon, of Pericles and the history of the Peloponnesian War, of Socratic dialogue, of tragic and comic drama, and of the beginning of scientific and philosophical thought. The study of the Roman Empire and of medieval European culture is at once a study of art, politics, literature, philosophy and religion that all interact and mutually influence one another. In content and in form, there are excellent reasons for encouraging students to study ancient thought and culture as a unique historical period from the vantage point of different humanities disciplines. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): CLA 209: Classical Literature in Translation: Topics (ENG 209) CLA 210: Mythology (ENG 210) ENG 209: Classical Literature in Translation: Topics (CLA 209) ENG 210: Mythology (CLA 210) ENG 388: Rhetorical Theory to 1900 HST 101: Western Civilization I PAR 201: History of Western Philosophy PAR 230: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam 29 September 2015 Child and Adolescent Studies Childhood studies is widely acknowledged as an emerging interdisciplinary academic field that is transforming scholarship on and understandings of children in much the same the way that women’s studies and African‐American studies transformed the studies of race, gender, and class during the late 20th century. Rutgers University, for example, has pioneered a Childhood Studies Department and offers not only undergraduate majors and minors, but also master’s and doctoral degrees in childhood studies. The aim of such a cluster at UNCW is to examine, in a multidisciplinary way, the issues, concepts, and debates that surround the study of children, adolescents, their experiences, and representations. Courses included in the cluster collectively help students theorize and historicize the figures of the Child and the Adolescent, and situate their study within contemporary cultural contexts. By examining representations of young people, students develop an understanding of childhood and adolescence as historical, social, and legal phenomena, and are able to critically engage with such representations. This approach prepares students for further study and careers in many areas including education, publishing, public policy, counseling, social services, and youth programming. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ENG 380: Literature for Children ENG 381: Young Adult Literature PSY 220: Child Psychology 29 September 2015 Climate Change and Society The complex interactions between human societies and the environment has not only affected every ecosystem on Earth, but also molded the evolution of human society through time. With an ever increasing pool of evidence indicating that significant anthropogenic climate change is highly likely in the near future, it is important that we fully understand the potential impacts of such changes on natural ecosystems and society. Such complex interactions at the global scale are well‐suited as a topic in a Thematic Transdisciplinary Cluster, as the most pressing and salient questions are interdisciplinary. For example, how have humans affected the world’s climate and ecosystems? How do anthropogenic impacts on climate change compare to natural climate variability? What impacts might climate change have on natural ecosystems and human societies? Are complex human societies capable of adapting to significant climate change? What is the most effective means of communicating complex climate change data to the general public? This cluster includes a group of courses especially well‐suited to address these complex questions from a variety of perspectives. Exposure to a combination of the physical and social sciences specifically addressing these questions is the only meaningful way to grasp the complex past and future interactions between humans and the climate system. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ANT 312: Collapse: The Fall of Complex Civilizations GGY 140: Introduction to Human Geography GGY 230: Introduction to Weather and Climate GGY 333: Applied Climatology GGY 340: Population, Resources, and the Environment GGY 420: Global Climate Change (GLY 420) (PHY 420) GGY 436: Ice Age Earth GLY 250: Beaches and Coast (OCN 250) GLY 420: Global Climate Change (GGY 420) (PHY 420) OCN 250: Beaches and Coasts (GLY 250) PHY 420: Global Climate Change (GGY 420) (GLY 420) PLS 209: Environmental Politics 29 September 2015 Coastal Health and Environment This Coastal Health Cluster is designed to focus on the interplay between the environment and human health, and more specifically, on maintaining human health in a coastal environment. Because of the interaction between humans and their physical and social environments, the quality of these environments impact health. As a consequence, environment and health are interrelated. When analyzing relationships between environment and health, it is of vital importance to consider a broader definition of environment, which includes not only the quality of the air, water and ground, but also, indoor air quality, food and the living, working and social environments. It is also important to understand the growing body of scientific evidence revealing that the interaction of health and the environment is reciprocal: that is, the environment can affect human health and that human health care can affect the environment. Due to the complexity of this reciprocal relationship, examination must occur from a multi‐disciplinary, ecological, and multiple‐system approach. One example is the social‐ecological model of health. The first level of analysis focuses upon individual biology and other personal characteristics, such as age, education, income, and health history. The second level focuses on relationship, which includes an individual’s social circle, such as friends, partners, and family members, all of whom influence human behavior and contribute to life experiences. The third level, community/environment, explores the characteristics of the physical settings in which people have social relationships, such as schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods, and examines how these settings affect health. Finally, the fourth level looks at the broad societal factors that favor or impair health. Examples include cultural and social norms and the health, economic, educational, and social policies that help to create, maintain, or lessen socioeconomic inequalities among groups (CDC, 2007; Krug et al., 2002). Insights from Environmental Science, Philosophy, and Biology enhance this model, creating a multi‐disciplinary approach to the issues at hand. Finally, we should also consider philosophical and artistic treatments of the reciprocal interactions between humans and the environment as part of human health. There are many problems needing creative solutions that students can investigate through a multidisciplinary frame. A multidisciplinary approach can be taken to investigate related questions, such as how can coastal communities figure out how to reap the economic benefits of coastal resources while maintaining health and quality of life for humans? And, how does the coastal environment impact personal health influences such as body image, risk factors for skin cancer, peer pressure, and the generational gap between collage age students and our retirement and aging population? When understanding and addressing health and human services from the context of the coastal region, “place” is important to achieving balance. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): HEA 207: Nutrition and Behavior NSG 405: Community Health Nursing PED 345: Pediatric Health and Fitness 29 September 2015 Coastal Health and Environment, continued PSY 352: Health Psychology REC 265: Introduction to Recreation Services SWK 235: Introduction to Social Work and the Social Welfare System SWK 335: Social Welfare Policies
29 September 2015 Evolution The concept of evolution is foundational to many fields of science, including anthropology, biology, geology, paleontology, and psychology. Evolution is a scientific concept, which means it addresses questions about the natural world through a process of testing hypotheses with empirical evidence. But, because science is limited to explaining natural phenomena using empirical evidence, it cannot provide religious, philosophical, or ultimate explanations for life. Humanities‐based views on evolution allows students to consider cultural/societal implications of evolution, address moral and ethical dimension of their decisions, and explore questions of ultimate purpose and meaning that are beyond the scope of science. This cluster allows students to study the evolution of lie from the perspective of different scientific disciplines, as well as to think about its significance in relation to human life and culture, including our philosophical, religious, historical, artistic, and literary modes of reflection. An evolution cluster of courses can be expected to stimulate students’ abilities to recognize multiple viewpoints concerning evolution and to consider how and to what extent these perspectives complement or compete with one another. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ANT 210: Physical Anthropology ANT 320: Human Origins not on USAC SP list ANT 322: Primate Biology and Behavior ANT 324: Human Biological Variation ANT 328: Bioarchaeology ANT 430: Evolutionary Biology (BIO 430) BIO 105: Concepts of Modern Biology BIO 202: Principles of Biology: Biodiversity BIO 430: Evolutionary Biology (ANT 430) BIO 475: Plant Taxonomy GLY 132: The Earth Through Time GLY 135: Prehistoric Life GLY 337: Invertebrate Paleontology PAR 360: Philosophy of Evolution PSY 257: Evolutionary Psychology PSY 457: Animal Behavior 29 September 2015 Foundations for Systems Thinking We all realize that the whole is more than the sum of the parts. Why is this, and how do parts of systems fit together? Understanding of the mechanisms that generate whole‐system level, emergent patterns is the focus of the Foundations in Systems Thinking Cluster. The world around us is fundamentally hierarchical – systems within systems, nested like matryoshka dolls – from human societies that build from individual to family, neighborhood, community, and nation, to the natural world, which builds from organism to population, community, and ecosystem. All such systems have internal feedbacks and dynamics (e.g., supply and demand, competition for resources) that can produce emergent properties difficult to predict by examining a single level of organization (e.g., economic globalization, altruistic social networks). Groundbreaking advances in any one discipline have often occurred when investigators apply systems thinking from a different discipline. By understanding that systems are nested hierarchies and bringing insights from different disciplines to bear on new problems, students can learn how to look to lower levels of organization for mechanistic processes and to higher levels for other kinds of constraints on system dynamics and organization. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): BIO 105: Concepts of Modern Biology BIO 201: Principles of Biology: Cells BIO 345: Animal Physiology BIO 366: Ecology COM 326: Communication and the Family COM 424: Applying Coordinated Management of Meaning to the World Around Us ECN 221: Principles of Economics Micro ECN 222: Principles of Economics: Macro ECN 250: Capitalism and the Global Market EXS 216: Human Anatomy and Physiology I EXS 217: Human Anatomy and Physiology II INB 377: International Operations Management (OPS 377) OPS 370: Principles of Operation Management OPS 377: International Operations Management (INB 377) PED 216: Human Anatomy and Physiology I (EXS 216) PED 217: Human Anatomy and Physiology II (EXS 217) RTH 468: Program Planning and Evaluation in Recreation Therapy 29 September 2015 Gender and Social Justice In recent years, much inquiry and activism have focused on the implications of gender difference in practices of social justice worldwide. Most often we hear about gender difference in practices of social justice in the social or political context, such as new legislation or policies denying or providing retribution in class action litigation. Courses included here enable students to further explore the interconnectivity of gender (in)equality and social justice from multiple perspectives, addressing content from a variety of disciplines. Topics include, but are not limited to: gender and global development strategies or macroeconomic policies; access to education; writing memoirs and manifestos; historical movements for gender equality; religions and their traditions and contemporary practices; access to medical and nutritional aid; pay equity; systems of protection and justice; value systems, civil rights, medial representation, and rights to free expression. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): CRM 315: Victimology CRM 370: Minorities, Crime, and Criminal Justice Policy EDN 370: Gender and Education PAR 225: Women and Religion SOC 250: Issues in Social Justice SOC 350: Gender and Society WGS 210: Introduction to Women’s Studies 29 September 2015 Global Diversity This cluster allows students to investigate global diversity in order to understand better the importance and implication of cultural and religious diversity. Students will consider questions such as: what role does global diversity play in encouraging different perspectives and fostering creativity and innovation? How does one navigate between international, cultural, and religious differences? Issues and topics explored in this Cluster could include diasporic traditions, multiculturalism, cultural diversity, and religious pluralism. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ANT 301: Shamanism, Witchcraft, and Cults COM 211: Storytelling and Culture COM 344: Intercultural Communication ENG 226: World Literature Since 1600 ENG 341: Postcolonial and Third World Literature ENG 359: World Indigenous Literatures and Film EXS 350: Motor Behavior (PED 350) FNA 101: Cultures of the World through Music and Dance HEA 320: Foundations in Global Health (PBH 320) HST 104: Introduction to Global History Since 1848 not on USAC SP list HST 367: History of Colonial Latin America INT 105: Introduction to International Studies INT 200: Global Capitalism and its Discontents INT 316: Global Protest Movements PAR 230: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam PAR 232: Asian Religions PBH 320: Foundations of Global Health (HEA 320) PED 206: Global Dance and Culture PED 235: Foundations of Health and Physical Education PED 350: Motor Behavior (EXS 350) REC 265: Introduction to Recreation Services REC 451: Travel and Tourism not on USAC SP list REC 494: Study Abroad in Recreation, Sport Leadership, and Tourism Management SOC 240: Individuals and Societies in a Global World SOC 346: Sociology of Religion
29 September 2015 Human Behavior The purpose of this cluster is to help students recognize multiple competing and complementary theoretical perspectives on human behavior from the different academic disciplines. By examining research and theories developed in each diverse field, students will recognize that these different approaches, methods of analysis, and theories give them different insights into why people behave the way they do, what gets classified as “normal” versus “aberrant” behaviors, and how students can best approach the many individual and social challenges facing them in the world. Whether focusing on individuals’ bodies and psyches, or on more comprehensive analysis of group communication, organizational structures, and social and cultural systems, or on the intersection of these different system levels, diverse disciplines in the social sciences, humanities, and professional programs have developed tools and approaches to conduct research to predict human behavior and design interventions to address individual and social needs. This cluster will prepare students for a critical, thoughtful engagement with the challenges that face individuals, families, communities, organizations, and larger social structures. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): COM 250: Introduction to Political Communication COM 302: Applied Qualitative Research COM 326: Communication in the Family CRM 255: Criminology (SOC 255) INT 200: Global Capitalism and its Discontents INT 316: Global Protest Movements PSY 105: General Psychology SOC 105: Introduction to Sociology SOC 220: Sociology of Death and Dying SOC 255: Criminology (CRM 255) SOC 336: Sociology of Aging SOC 346: Sociology of Religion SOC 433: Sociology of Mental Illness SWK 235: Introduction to Social Work and the Social Welfare System SWK 320: Human Behavior and the Social Environment I 29 September 2015 Human Rights Globalization has drawn much attention to and roused important debates about human rights: protections, privileges, powers, and access to resources to which people everywhere are justly entitled by virtue of being human. Discussions and controversies have proliferated since post‐WWII UN Declaration on Human Rights and the numerous subsequent declarations. White there are mechanisms in place to put pressure upon states that violate human rights, the difficulties of implement such measures and ensuring human rights protections are significant. At the same time, globalized communication and exchanges of ideas have fostered a multitude of popular social movements aimed at drawing attention to human rights abuses and organizing resistance against the forces, processes, and institutions, as well as the states that create them. This cluster provides students with a comprehensive understanding of human rights through an integrated cross‐disciplinary survey. The theme of human rights will be approached through different theoretical and critical viewpoints, including but not limited to, anthropological, philosophical, historical, and humanistic perspectives. Through courses offered across a range of programs, students will explore the diversity of the world’s human rights issues related to: genocide, refugees and displaced people, tribal sovereignty, cultural survival, social justice, labor and working conditions, violence against women, human trafficking, child welfare, health and access to medical care, immigration and citizenship status, transnational migration flows, political oppression and state use of violence, environmental justice, environmental degradation, and equitable access to natural resources. By learning about local and global strategies and solutions to these problems, students will be able to examine more critically and engage more concertedly with the world in which they live. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ANT 305: North American Indians ANT 317: Social Issues in Latin America ANT 327: Globalization and Culture Change ANT 330: The Immigrant Experience ANT 346: Medical Anthropology PAR 369: The Philosophy of Power 29 September 2015 Immigration The topic of immigration, or the migration of people from one location to another, has received a lot of attention in the United States and throughout the world in the last decade. Most often, we hear about immigration within a political context – new legislation or policies denying or providing some rights to immigrants. This interdisciplinary thematic cluster on immigration will provide students the opportunity to approach this broad topic from many viewpoints and disciplines. Our hope is that after completing this cluster, students will prepared to critically analyze the many sides of the immigration issue, both domestically and internationally, while proposing and analyzing solutions to the ‘immigration problem,’ taking into account the many views introduced to them in the cluster courses. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ANT 316: Exploring World Cultures ANT 327: Globalization and Culture Change ANT 330: The Immigrant Experience not on USAC SP list EDN 400: Immigration, Demographics, and Justice in Education ENG 344: Latino Voices in American Literature FRH 421: French Immigrant Narratives HST 106: United States from 1865 to Present HST 340: Race, Gender, and Citizenship INT 105: Introduction to International Studies SOC 325: Racial and Ethnic Group Relations SPN 323: Introduction to US Latino Literature and Culture SPN 490: Service Learning and Research
29 September 2015 Judaism and the Jewish People Over the course of 3000 years, the Jews have made their way from their historic homeland in Israel to distant lands. Their customs and values have kept evolving to meet the needs of their new environments. The Jews have always developed dynamic and reciprocal relationships with the societies that have surrounded them: relationships that have fundamentally transformed the practice of Judaism and the landscape of Jewish culture. But of equal significance is the impact the Jews have had on their non‐Jewish neighbors. From Christianity and Islam to capitalism and communism, from European philosophy to American humor and Soviet jazz music, the Jews have bequeathed a rich heritage to humanity. To experience Jewish culture in all its facets is to understand better the world in which we live. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): HST 207: Jewish History to 1492 HST 208: Jewish History from 1492 to Present HST 385: Zionism and Israel PAR 230: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam PAR 362: Archaeology of Ancient Israel PAR 376: Judaism 29 September 2015 Linguistics The courses in this cluster give students opportunities to analyze language from different perspectives. A multitude of questions inform these perspectives, including: how does history play a part in shaping language change? What cultural forces give one language variety prestige over others? What differences exist between first and second language acquisition? After completing this cluster on linguistics, students will be able to look at language as a whole and languages in particular through both scientific and social lenses. They will gain an insight into how human language functions and how it differs across geographic, social, temporal, and contextual frames. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ANT 208: Language and Culture EDN 423: Second Language Acquisition not on USAC SP list FRH 308: French Linguistics GER 322: History of the German Language SPN 307: Phonetics SPN 308: Hispanic Linguistics SPN 496: Seminar in Hispanic Linguistics 29 September 2015 Modeling A model can be thought of as an abstract, non‐unique, description of a natural system that captures its features essential for addressing the modeling objectives. Nearly every discipline creates models that mimic the “real world” and enable scholars to make predictions and develop understanding crucial to specific fields of study. Models often simplify to clarify, but students do not often fully appreciate that they are using a model that contains simplifying assumptions. Further, despite encountering models across disciplines, many students do not at first see the connections between how different disciplines develop and define them. This cluster of courses emphasizes the common aspects of models used in a variety of disciplines. By taking these courses, students will demonstrate an understanding of the common elements, important limitations, and powerful predictive properties that models provide. Students will also compare and contrast these models as a way to assess their applicability across a range of contexts. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): ANT 105: Introduction to Anthropology ANT 207: Archaeology BIO 201: Principles of Biology: Cells BIO 366: Ecology CHM 101: General Chemistry I CLR 301: Introduction to Clinical Research CSC 112: Introduction to Computer Programming CSC 131: Introduction to Computer Science EVS 195: Introduction to Environmental Studies MAT 101: Mathematics for Liberal Arts: A Contemporary Approach MAT 151: Basic Calculus with Applications I MAT 152: Basic Calculus with Applications II MAT 161: Calculus with Analytical Geometry I MAT 162: Calculus with Analytical Geometry II NSG 415: Research in Nursing PHY 335: Modern Physics PSY 105: General Psychology PSY 256: Brain and Behavior 29 September 2015 Public Health and Human Development The Public Health and Human Development cluster provides a multi‐disciplinary and interdisciplinary focus on the identification and solution of pressing modern problems in human health and development at any level from the molecular to the environmental. As we move further into the 21st century, old problems like overpopulation, environmental degradation, and pandemic disease will continue to vex our society. At the same time, new problems like blurring distinctions between humans and computers, how to manage and use personal genetic information, addressing complex health needs in today’s society, and equitable access to increasingly expensive health technologies will also demand solution. The motivation for this cluster is the belief that only the interaction of scientific and humanities approaches can make headway into the solution of these multifactorial problems. This cluster can bring humanities students into closer touch with the significance of scientific and technological expertise, and provide science students with a humanistic context and sensibility for their work. Both groups will see that the entire solution to complex problems requires appreciation of and contributions from both traditions. The Public Health and Human Development cluster will produce scholars and leaders—as well as consumers, parents and voters—who are cognizant of both scientific and humanistic thought and methodology, able to apply them to societal problems, and able to work well in multidisciplinary settings. Courses (choose at least 9 credit hours and three courses with at least two different prefixes): HEA 320: Foundations in Global Health (PBH 320) PBH 320: Foundations of Global Health (HEA 320) REC 370: Tourism and Health SOC 220: Sociology of Death and Dying SOC 336: Sociology of Aging SOC 337: Medical Sociology SOC 433: Sociology of Mental Illness 29 September 2015