UGS 2230
Block U: Global Citizenship
Part I
Fall 2015
M/W 1:25- 2:45 pm, WEB 2250
Professors:
Office:
Office Hours:
Email:
Christine Jones
LNCO 1319
3-5pm M/12-2 pm T and by appointment
christine.a.jones@utah.edu
Ye Sun
LNCO 2617
12:15-1:15 pm M/W and by appointment
ye.sun@utah.edu
Course Overview:
Did you ever stop to think that you can't leave for your job in the morning without being dependent on most of the world? You get up in the
morning and go to the bathroom and reach over for the sponge, and that's handed to you by a Pacific Islander. You reach for a bar of soap,
and that's given to you at the hands of a Frenchman. And then you go into the kitchen to drink your coffee for the morning, and that's poured
into your cup by a South American.
And maybe you want tea: that's poured into your cup by a Chinese [person]. Or maybe you're desirous of having cocoa for breakfast, and
that's poured into your cup by a West African. And then you reach over for your toast, and that's given to you at the hands of an Englishspeaking farmer, not to mention the baker. And before you finish eating breakfast in the morning, you've depended on more than half of the
world.
--Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “A Christmas Sermon on Peace,” 1967
Wondering what it means to inhabit not only a structure, city, or country, but also a planet has preoccupied humans for
much of our history. But in recent years, economic, social, and technological developments have made the world seem
even more interconnected. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., identified typically with the African American civil rights
movement of the 1960s, had a view of human relationships that emphasized broad international ties through the most
mundane details. It may be tempting to think that Salt Lake City is an enclave—a quiet mountain valley made
international only through its good airline connections—but it participates fully in the planetary landscape. Our small
community with its own, wholly local and unique identity and challenges nevertheless shows all the signs of globalism:
massive industry, multiculturalism, intercultural tensions, and environmental issues faced across the world, such as smog.
Through a focus on environment and human rights, we will spend the fall reading different perspectives on our global
lives. Our discussions will address the manifestations and implications of globalization and how we can take part in this
new 21st-century lifestyle ethically and with intercultural awareness. In the spring, we will put these theories to the test in
our own city—Salt Lake—and rethink our relationship to it as a global environment in need of citizens with intercultural
awareness and responsibility.
This Block U will, your instructors hope, push you to think more globally, even as you think locally, in a different way.
The connections Dr. King discussed in his sermon—and that we all reinforce every day—hold promise for intercultural
contacts, for learning, for understanding, and maybe for peace. But they also present challenges to the environment, to
health, and to human rights, to name just a few problems.
Our focus on the complex meanings of living in a globalized culture will suggest several questions:
• What does it mean to operate as a “global citizen” anyway?
• How can we balance the problems and possibilities of our interconnected life as “global citizens”?
• What responsibilities do our lifestyles and choices—of food, of buying and selling, of technologies, of
travel—impose on us?
In this experimental seminar, we will read, write, talk, and act in response to these questions. As we do so, we will expect
you to apply what you are learning in all your Block U courses.
Block U is designed to help you think about what you are learning in an integrative fashion, making connections among
subjects that might not at first seem connected. Several assignments in this class fall semester are designed to help you
do this.
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Support Team:
Peer Mentor
Librarian
Student Success Advocate
Advisor
Lindsay Massman
Linda St. Clair
Stephanie Santarosa
Terese Pratt
lindsay.massman@utah.edu
linda.stclair@utah.edu
stephanie.santarosa@utah.edu
tpratt@uc.utah.edu
Special note: As this courses asks us to engage with world events, it is very likely that it will evolve as we progress and
as opportunities present themselves. In the spirit of Block U, we conceive of it as an experiment in integrating
undergraduate education at the U. Some of the best courses are experimental, but experimentation can make students
uncomfortable. Please be present in class as much as possible to stay updated on any schedule changes. We will check in
with you on a regular basis to ask how the course is going and welcome your suggestions. Please be honest, explicit, and
detailed so that we can best ensure a positive experience for everyone.
Books we will discover in this class:
Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken
When a Billion Chinese Jump by Jonathan Watts
Collapse and The World Until Yesterday by Jared Diamond
Connected by Nicholas Christakis & James Fowler
Global Citizens: How Our Vision of the World is Outdated, and What We Can Do about It by Mark Gerzon
Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers by Anthony Appiah
You can find other excerpts, book chapters, and articles that we will read in class on Canvas.
Assignments (more details in class meetings and on Canvas):
Global citizenship is a broad, diffuse, and even elusive concept. One major goal of our class this semester is to
collectively engage this concept, think critically about it, and come to an informed and creative understanding of what it
means. Our class assignments are designed to serve this goal by having you think about these issues and articulate your
thinking through clear, effective writing. For each assignment, big or small, be mindful that writing is an intensive task
that requires revision and editing. Papers that are thoughtless in content and/or careless in writing will suffer.
Argument Capture

These exercises are designed to help you think differently about reading and writing; that is, to teach you to read
with a pen. If you approach writing as a form (not an afterthought to) reading, you will absorb more and more
effectively. To help you develop this skill, twice during the semester we will ask you to “capture” the essence of
something that you have read. These are NOT papers, but mind maps of how you understand the argument the
writer has presented. Ideally, they will help you write better responses to the module questions.
Integrative Thinking (ungraded)

Our learning “block” pairs two other subjects with this class and the general question of global citizenship. At key
moments in the semester, we will ask you to reflect informally on how the three courses in your block work
together. We will NOT grade these reflections, as they are meant to engage your creative thinking at the highest
level and invite you to be risk-taking in how you draw all of these subjects together intellectually. These reflections
will become building blocks for the ePortfolio project at the end of the semester.
Module Questions

To help you keep focused throughout the semester and improve your writing through practice, there are three
smaller writing assignments, which are due during weeks 6, 10 and 14 respectively. Each of these assignments
should revolve around the focal perspective on global citizenship reflected in the corresponding set of readings. We
will provide you with two or three questions from which you can choose one to respond to in a paper. You will
present a cogent summary of the readings and on that basis, articulate how these readings inform your thinking
about global citizenship. These papers should be 3-4 pages long (double spaced).
Book Review (Research and Response)

One of your achievements this semester will be to read a book related to global citizenship from cover to cover. At
the beginning of the semester, we will assign you to a reading group and each group can either pick a book from the
required course readings or find one on your own (subject to instructors’ approval). Your reading group will set a
reading schedule and meet regularly throughout the semester to share your thoughts on the book. At the end of the
semester, you will turn in an individual book review (4-6 pages long, double spaced). Your review will need to
address the following questions: What is the central argument of the book? What kind of evidence does it present?
Is the evidence persuasive? Why or why not? How does the book positively contribute to the understanding of
“global citizenship?” How has the book contributed to your sense of how to live as a global citizen?
ePortfolio (Integration and Imagination)

After reading and reflecting on a variety of readings and viewings this semester, you will produce a final project to
be posted on your personal ePortfolio articulating your own thinking about global citizenship. As part of the
particularity of this highly creative assignment, we will ask you 1) to relate the main Block theme to the Linguistics
and Geography materials that you encountered in your other classes and 2) to project how you think your ideas
could be impacted by the subjects you will treat next semester: Biology and Art History. The project must integrate
writing and images that present a series of ideas about how you now understand the rights and responsibilities of a
global citizen. For you to effectively address this question, then you will consistently and thoughtfully integrate
relevant course materials and also call on sources from your other two Block U courses to support your arguments
and show how you have woven these disciplinary subjects together to create a persona vision.
Grading:
Argument captures (2 x 5%)
Module questions (3 x 15%)
Book review
ePortfolio project
Total*
*Adjusted by participation (-3% to +3%)
10%
45%
20%
25%
100%
Class Policies:
Class attendance and participation (-3% to +3% of your total grade):
The success of this course depends on active participation—coming to every class or service learning session with
something to say and/or a good question—by everyone. We will take participation or lack thereof into account by
altering your grade as much as three points up or down based on your participation. Regular attendance in class and
participation in all the activities listed in the syllabus is taken for granted.
Deadline Policies
Employers complain that many college graduates are highly knowledgeable, but their work habits are sloppy. In other
words, their work may be of high quality, but they show up late for meetings, miss deadlines, and often give excuses.
Employers want MAKE-IT-HAPPEN employees—the type who anticipate possible obstacles (like traffic snarls and
computer glitches) and prepare in advance so they will still be on time. The only way to meet deadlines is to work ahead
of them. In this class, late work will result in a lower grade and may not be accepted at all. Exceptions include a
death or life-threatening emergency or when called to represent the university in an official capacity. If unavoidable
circumstances occur in your life that impede your performance in this course—please talk to us! Exceptions
may be made, if the problems are (a) made known to us immediately; (b) documented; and (c) verifiable.
Academic Misconduct/Plagiarism Policy
No matter how great your communication skills, if you do not communicate with integrity, you will not be successful.
Indeed, throughout history we have seen that it is a dangerous mix when skilled communicators lack strong ethical
principles. The University has a code on academic misconduct: http://www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6400.html. Therefore, there is a no-tolerance policy on infractions against academic integrity (plagiarism). Using someone
else’s words or ideas willfully without giving due credit, will result in failure of the course and/or an academic misconduct report filed
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with the dean. If at any point you have questions about how best to integrate source material into your writing—with
proper attributions—please ask.
Use of Electronics
You can use laptops, tablets, and cell phones in class only for the purpose of reading class materials and taking notes.
Use of iPods, MP3 players, and other electronic media is strictly forbidden in this class. Facebooking, tweeting, texting
or answering the phone, or use of other social media in class is distracting to and disrespectful for other students and
instructors, and will result in deduction of your participation points.
Other University Policies
Disability accommodation policy
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services, and activities for people with
disabilities. If you need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice should be given to the Center for
Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 801-581-5020 (V/TDD), http://disability.utah.edu/. CDS will
work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations.
All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the
Center for Disability Services.
Accommodation policy: Curriculum accommodations take two forms: schedule accommodations and content accommodations.

We are able to make schedule accommodations for those who have a conflict that involves religious/spiritual
observances, University sanctioned activities, and personal or medical exigencies, provided that documentation
is furnished. If you anticipate or when you experience any scheduling conflict with this course, please speak
with us as soon as possible. In every case, it is the student’s responsibility to make these arrangements.

Some students may find some of the reading materials, presentations, lectures, or audio/visual materials
controversial or in conflict with their values or beliefs. Please be assured that all the material that we present,
assign, or require you to encounter and address has been selected for its pedagogical value and utility in relation
to the concepts we are engaging. Should you have questions or concerns, please see one or both of the
instructors immediately. Details on the university’s accommodation policy are available at this link:
http://admin.utah.edu/facdev/pdf/accommodations-policy-background.pdf
Career Resources
Career Services is the centralized department at the University of Utah charged with educating students in the
discovery and realization of meaningful careers. Our services include career exploration, resume and cover
letter reviews, interview prep, graduate school prep, internship/job search and more. Visit Career Services in
the Student Services Building Room 350 or at careers.utah.edu.
Course Schedule
Weeks
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Dates
08/24
08/26
08/31
Topics
Intro to Block U & the course
A Vocabulary Lesson:
Environment, Globalization,
Citizens & Human Rights
Globalization: what is it?
09/02
Bearing Witness
09/07
09/09
Labor Day
Raising Awareness I: thinking
globally
09/14
Raising Awareness II: what/who
is at stake?
09/16
English as a Global Language
(and its consequences)
09/21
09/23
Week 6
Week 7
Globalization and Citizenship
09/30
Think Like an Activist, Write
like a Humanist
We are more connected than we
know
How else are we “networked?”
10/05
Humans and the Eco-system
10/07
Globalization and Diversity
09/28
Readings
Assignments Due
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/17/clean-air-parispollution-crime-against-humanity
https://wiki.digitalmethods.net/Dmi/RightsTypes
http://sociology.emory.edu/faculty/globalization/about.html
Steger: Globalization: A Very Short Introduction, Chapter 1, “Globalization: a
contested concept” (1-16)
Gerzon, Global Citizens, Chapter 1, “Witnessing” (1-36)
Bardhan, “Does Globalization Help or Hurt the World’s Poor?”
Globalization: VSI, “Globalization and History: is globalization a new
phenomenon?” (17-36)
Bradbury, “A Sound of Thunder”
Argument Capture #1
Due
Anthony Appiah, Cosmopolitanisms, Chapter 8, “Whose Culture Is It, Anyway?”
(115-135)
Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Coco Fusco, The Couple in a Cage (short film)
Gloria Anzaldúa, Borderlands/La Frontera, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” (75-86)
Diamond, The world till yesterday, “Speaking in Many Tongues” (395-409).
Citizenship: A Very Short Introduction, Chapter 1, “Citizenship: Why does it matter?” Argument Capture #2 Due
(1-26)
John Donne, “No Man is an Island”
https://web.cs.dal.ca/~johnston/poetry/island.html
How to translate your conviction into strong, convincing prose
[Form Book Review
Groups]
Christakis & Flower, Connected, Chapter 4, “This hurts me as much as it hurts
you”
Rebecca Solnit, Storming the Gates of Paradise, “A murder of ravens: On globalized Module Question #1 Due
species”
Barbara Kingsolver, Small Wonders, “Lily’s chicken”
Malcolm Gladwell, “The Vanishing”
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/01/03/the-vanishing-2
Collapse, 487-499
Hawken, Blessed Unrest, Chapter “Indigene”
Visiting Study Abroad Fair
FALL BREAK
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6
Week 9
10/19
10/21
Learning to integrate
Universal Citizens
Week 10
10/26
Gender and Race
10/28
Plants and Animals
11/02
11/04
11/09
11/11
11/16
Group Work Day (I)
Activism (I)
Activism (II)
Globalization and China
China & Activism
11/18
Post-Patriarchy
11/23
Restoration
11/25
Post-Colonialism
11/30
12/02
12/07
12/09
Group Work Day (II)
Course wrap-up
Presentations
Presentations
Week 11
Week 12
Hi Week
13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
ePortfolios: putting it all together and reflecting thoughtfully
US Constitution
French Declaration of the Rights of Man
Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments
UN Declaration of Human Rights
UN Declaration of Right of Indigenous Peoples
Universal Declarations of the Rights of Mother Earth
Universal Declaration of the Rights of Animals
Presentation/Campus activity/or Book Review Groups
Hawken, Blessed Unrest, Chapter, “The right of business”
Hawken, Blessed Unrest, Chapter “Blessed Unrest”
Watts, When a Billion Chinese Jump, Chapters 5 & 8
“The warriors of Qiugang”
Watts, When a Billion Chinese Jump, “Peaking Man”
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/introduction-to-the-challenges-ofachieving-gender/
Rigoberta Menchú Tum, I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala
(excerpts)
Hawken, Blessed Unrest, Chapter “Restoration”
Diamond, Collapse, 373-377
Nelson Mandela, “An Ideal for which I am prepared to die,” Speech at the
Supreme Court of South Africa, 1964
Book Review Groups: Working integratively together
Module Paper #2 Due
Module Paper #3 Due
Book Review Due