This interdisciplinary and cross-cultural course introduces students to a variety of frameworks for understanding our interconnected world by focusing on one or more issues of global relevance today, including but not limited to conflict, revolution, and war; democracy, citizenship, and human rights; migration; and climate change. Focusing on the interpretive methods of the humanities, including critical analysis, close readings, and engagement with theoretical approaches, we will discuss the historical, social, and cultural contexts of major global movements in comparative perspective. In addition to examining literary, cultural, and media texts, the class will ask students to make connections between global and local contexts through a group service-learning project.

Introduces the history and culture of India and South Asia--including present-day India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka--from the area's earliest inhabitants to yesterday. Students learn about the peoples and cultures of South Asia through investigations of prehistoric and historic origins, caste, religion, family life, colonialism and independence, communal violence, popular culture, and the South Asian diaspora. The course content is interdisciplinary, involving both the humanities and social sciences. Attention is given to both unity and diversity across the South Asian subcontinent.

Confucius, Mencius, Zhuangzi and other Chinese thinkers who lived more than 2,000 years ago would argue that the contemporary Western emphasis on self-discovery (Find yourself) and self-acceptance has led you astray. See what they have to say and discuss what relevance it has for the modern world as we study how early Chinese thinkers wrestled with questions of existence, morality, and governance. No previous knowledge of Chinese philosophy and history will be assumed and no prerequisites are required. We will discuss ideas that are both historical and relevant to students' lives. What is "the Way"? How do we cultivate spontaneity? Is there a stable self? How can we be more alive? These are questions important for ancient kings but also for UMD students choosing a major, or wondering how ARHU can benefit them.

Introduces issues of linguistic diversity in the framework of the U.S. as a multilingual society. Special emphasis is placed on attitudes toward language diversity, specifically, how regional, social, generational, ethnic, racial and gender differences in language use contribute to notions of identity.

Examines the need to think beyond established frameworks, including the national-cultural paradigm, for apprehending literature, cinema, and other forms of cultural production in a global age. We will read and discuss theories that respond to and engage with the increased flow of ideas, bodies, and texts in an era characterized by globalization, migration, and neoliberal capitalism. We will also analyze literary texts, films, and cultural movements that emerge from and address the geopolitical transformations and challenges of the present. Students are expected to address topics comparatively across different languages, as appropriate for their level of linguistic proficiency. The range of connections between language and cultural expression and understanding is a central topic of the course.

Muslims and Urdu feature prominently in the Hindi cinema of Bollywood, which is centered in the cosmopolitan, coastal city of Mumbai, India, formerly known as Bombay. In Bollywood film, Urdu is the preferred language of love, duty, and sacrifice. But it is also closely associated with India's Muslim community, the largest religious minority, and with the conventions of a feudal past. This course introduces students to the methods used by scholars to understand how these films have represented the nation and its minorities.